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Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras

Attachment And Aversion: The Secret to Loosening Suffering’s Grip

by Maria Kuzmiak 2 Comments
attachment and aversion

As a younger yogi, I craved enlightenment (yes, I see the silliness in that). Like many people, I was drawn to yoga because I was suffering. When I first learned about attachment and aversion in yogic philosophy, I thought, great. If I want to be happy, I just have to stop liking and disliking things. … [Read more…]

Posted in: Mind, Body, Spirit, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Yoga Circles, Yoga Practice and Philosophy Tagged: attachment and aversion, peace

Egoism and Yoga: Do We Really Need to Eliminate The Self?

by Maria Kuzmiak Leave a Comment
egoism

You don’t have to be a yogi to understand the trouble egoism can cause. Ego, the individual self, tends to seek attention and see itself as separate from others. In a recent post, I described the ways ignorance shows up and creates obstacles to enlightenment. One of these ways—perhaps the most significant—is misunderstanding who we … [Read more…]

Posted in: Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Yoga Circles Tagged: egoism, true self

Yogic Wisdom Uncovers Four Ways We Are Veiled By Ignorance

by Maria Kuzmiak 2 Comments
yogic wisdom can help us pull back the veil of ignorance

It makes sense that ignorance is an obstacle to enlightenment. But how do we know what we don’t know? In sutra 2.5, Patanjali sheds light on this issue. Specifically, the sutra describes four obstacles to enlightenment. Once we understand how we are ignorant, we can use yogic wisdom to pull back the veil of darkness. … [Read more…]

Posted in: Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Yoga Circles Tagged: yoga sutras, yogic wisdom

Our True Nature is Peace: How to Remove The Five Afflictions

by Maria Kuzmiak Leave a Comment
our true nature

I remember my first yoga experience, a beginners hatha yoga class in my hometown. In every class, the teacher would remind us, “Our true nature is peace.” I felt it every time, for a while at least. After class, I’d feel like I’d come home to the peace that had eluded me. Then I’d return … [Read more…]

Posted in: Mind, Body, Spirit, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Yoga Circles, Yoga Practice and Philosophy Tagged: our true nature, peace, yoga sutras

Niyama Practice: Firing Up Our Desire to Know Who We Are As One

by Maria Kuzmiak 2 Comments

In chapter 2 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, we learn about practicing yoga. More specifically, how to practice. The first sutra in this section introduces three important disciplines that can help us deepen our yoga practice. The disciplines are three of the five niyamas. Sutra 2.1 says: Austerity, the study of sacred texts, and the dedication … [Read more…]

Posted in: Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Yoga Circles Tagged: higher power, niyamas, practice of yoga, svadhyaya, tapas

How The Mind Creates Distraction and The Simple Way Yoga Gets Us Back

by Maria Kuzmiak Leave a Comment

After describing the roadblocks to enlightenment in the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali invites us to consider their presence in our lives. He invites us to explore how the mind creates distraction. A few symptoms, we’re told, will let us know when it’s happening How The Mind Creates Distraction When we’re distracted, Patanjali says, our bodies let … [Read more…]

Posted in: Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Yoga Circles Tagged: mental distraction

Enlightenment is A Journey: How to Recognize Obstacles on The Path

by Maria Kuzmiak 1 Comment

Spiritual seekers face many obstacles. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali names roadblocks to enlightenment and tells us how to get around them. These obstacles are listed in sutra 1.30. According to a translation by Reverend Jaganath Carrera, roadblocks to enlightenment include disease, dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, sensuality, false perception, failure to reach firm ground, and … [Read more…]

Posted in: Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Yoga Circles Tagged: roadblocks to enlightenment, yoga sutras

What Does OM Mean? — Exploring The Sound of the Universe

by Maria Kuzmiak Leave a Comment
what does OM mean

Chanting mantras is a powerful way to turn inward and quiet the mind. While there are many mantras, few are as well-known as the sound of OM. But what does OM mean? In Yoga Sutra 1.28, Patanjali reminds us that chanting the mantra and reflecting on its meaning are keys to enlightenment. Maybe you’ve heard … [Read more…]

Posted in: Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Yoga Circles Tagged: mantra chanting, OM, sound of OM, what does om mean

Faith in a Higher Power: The Fifth Niyama Connects Us to Source

by Maria Kuzmiak Leave a Comment

As we tap into the fire of tapas and learn more about ourselves through the practice of self-study, we begin to strip away layers of ego. Eventually, we reach a point beyond our intellect. At that point, we need faith in a higher power to go further. Faith in a higher power is the fifth … [Read more…]

Posted in: Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Yoga Circles, Yoga Practice and Philosophy Tagged: faith, higher power, Isvara-prandihana, niyamas

Tapas — Fueling New Flames With Yoga’s Third Niyama

by Maria Kuzmiak 2 Comments

Since it is winter in the northern hemisphere, I’m thinking about heat. And that reminds me of the third niyama — tapas — and the idea of (figuratively speaking) lighting a fire that can transform us. As we begin a new year, it’s an especially appropriate time to focus on the third niyama. Tapas seems … [Read more…]

Posted in: Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Yoga Circles, Yoga Practice and Philosophy Tagged: niyamas, tapas
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  • Egoism and Yoga: Do We Really Need to Eliminate The Self?

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