Kate Taylor's Yoga Site

Ok let’s go back to Sutra 2.6 first and talk about Asmita – translated as Ego. I have read other texts about the sutras and this is sometimes called I-am-ness. I think that better explains what is meant in Yoga by Asmita. I-am-ness is essentially the idea that we are separate from the Supreme Being/God/whatever you want to call it. So Patanjali is telling us that this I-am-ness is the reason we mistake our thoughts for the Self.  Like our bodies, which are separate from the Self, so are our thoughts. If you connect the dots…this is why the second sutra says the goal of yoga is to stop the fluctuations of the mind. We are essentially trying to quiet our thoughts so that the Self can be revealed. Anybody who has ever tried meditation can tell you this is not easy. But practice is the way to get there. And Asana practice prepares the mind for meditation as do the other techniques that are part of the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga.

If I have not yet talked about the eight limbs, here they are –

1. Yama (abstinences – what to refrain from)
2. Niyama (observances - guidelines for how to act with respect to others)
3. Asana (postures)
4. Pranayama (breathwork)
5. Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses)
6. Dharana (concentration)
7. Dhyana (meditation)
8. Samadhi (super-conscious state)

I will not go into them now because sutra 2.29 starts a whole series of sutras dedicated to a more in depth discussion.

Sutra 2.7 Sukhanusayi Ragah

Sukah = pleasure
Anusayi = follows with
Ragah = attachment

Continuing with our discussion of the five obstacles to Samadhi, Patanjali tells us that pleasure, which we naturally associate with happiness, is an obstacle because we become attached to the things that give us pleasure.  This attachment keeps us focused on the outside world rather than seeking and acknowledging the happiness that exists within.

One of my favorite quotes from Satchidanda’s translation is in this section:

No one can ever give us happiness or unhappiness but can only reflect or distort our own inner happiness. 

So maybe the header on my website, instead of saying “Do Yoga, Be Happy,“ should say…..”Practice Yoga, Realize You Are Happy”.

Sutra 2.8  Dukhanuasayi Dvesah

Dukah = pain
Anusayi = follows with
Devesha = aversion

This sutra is the corollary to the previous and I think the lesson is the same. Avoid allowing yourself to feel aversion because this is just a distraction from the Self. For example, if you dislike somebody’s personality, the pain you suffer when you are in their company often stems from your thoughts about that person rather than anything specific that the person may do to you.  Try this out next time you see that annoying person. Notice if as they approach you start to feel annoyed. Notice how before they even see you, you may already be feeling “pain” about the impending encounter. What a waste of energy! If you would let go of your dislike, you would be less agitated (and could spend your energy on Yoga!).