Yoga Sutra 33

Sutra 33 Principles which run contrary to yama and niyama are to be countered with the knowledge of discrimination. This sutra is saying that if someone is feeling anger, then he/she should cultivate joy instead. If someone is violent then they should cultivate non-violence. Going against one’s natural tendencies in order to do what is…

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Yoga Sutra 32 the Niyamas

Sutra 32 Cleanliness, contentment, religious zeal, self-study, and surrender of the self to the supreme Self or God are the niyamas. Yamas are seen as the universal social practices; niyamas are individual practice. Cleanliness: In the Bible cleanliness has a lot of meanings, before Jesus to be unclean meant much more than to be dirty.…

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Yoga Sutra 35

Sutra 35 When nonviolence in speech, thought and action is established, one’s aggressive nature is relinquished and others abandon hostility in one’s presence. Have you ever tried to fight with someone who will not fight back? Unfortunately, I have been on both sides of this equation and being at peace does help defuse a heated…

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Yoga Sutra 29- 31 Yama’s

Sutra 29 Moral injunctions (yama) fixed observances (niyama), posture (asana) regulation of breath (pranayama), internalization of senses towards their source (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana) and absorption of consciousness in the self (samashi) are the eight constituents of yoga. This speaks only of yoga. These are the 8 limbs or constituents of yoga. The Bible…

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Yoga Sutra 28

Sutra 28 By the dedicated practice of the various aspects of yoga, impurities are destroyed, the crown of wisdom radiates in glory. First, lets review the 8 limbs of yoga. There are many different branches of yoga, but the limbs are the same for everyone according to Patanjlai, no matter which branch you are drawn…

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Yoga Sutra 27

Sutra 27 Through this unbroken flow of discriminative awareness, one gains perfect knowledge which has seven spheres. There are seven frontiers to be integrated between the seen (nature, flesh) and the seer (soul, Holy Spirit). They are the body, the senses, energy, mind, intellect, consciousness, and the soul. According to this sutra, each has its…

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Yoga Sutra 26

Sutra 26 The ceaseless flow of discriminative knowledge in thought, word, and deed destroys ignorance and the source of pain. Iyengar puts it best, “The seeds of false knowledge are to be burnt up through uninterrupted yogic practices to maintain an unbroken flow of discriminative intelligence”. This is meditation and mantra. Many psalms reflect on…

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Yoga Sutra 25

Sutra 2: 25 The destruction of ignorance through right knowledge breaks the link binding the seer to the seen. This is kaivalya, emancipation. As you probably already know, unless you have been living and graced by the contemplative life for a long while, we are more prone to living focused on human issues (finances, family,…

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Yoga Sutra 24 (book 2)

Sutra 24 Lack of spiritual understanding is the cause of the false identification of the seer with the seen. In Iyengar’s commentary, he restates the importance for us to understand that the mingling of nature (the seen, our flesh selves) and the soul ( Holy Spirit, God) can either lead to emancipation and union with…

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Yoga Sutra 23

Sutra 23 The conjunction of the seer with the seen is for the seer to discover his own true nature. Seer: being the soul, or for Christians, I believe the Holy Spirit Seen: being our perception of self, our human/flesh nature, even our sinful nature This sutra is saying that in the soul (Holy Spirit),…

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