Quiet the Mind to See Within

The Yoga sutras, a series of statements detailing the approach to yoga, was written by the Sage of Pantanjali around 400 CE.  The 2nd sutra states that if you can restrain (nirodhah) the rising of the mind (citta) chatter (vrttis) into ripples, you will experience yoga.  ‘Yogas citta vrttis nirodhah’.

Our minds are always at work and often take up attention with an inner dialogue.  This dialogue is a great tool for analysis; however it can dominate our existence to the point that we loose touch with our body and outside environment, motivated mostly by our desires.  Your intellect (buddhi) or thinking mind, is a part of being a human that we identify with most. It can come in the way by overanalyzing and living in the past or future, thus we project and see the world from this perspective.  The entire outside world for us is based on our thoughts and mental attitude.  We see the world from our own projections.

When we can calm the thinking, our mind becomes more free to look inwards and create awareness of movement, breath and feeling.  Body awareness allows us to see inside what is happening and move towards balance. Both mind and body are connected in this way. Being aware of our thoughts helps us to see beyond our fears, projections, assumptions and judgements. With a still mind we can develop awareness and turn attention inward to unravel what is going on physically.

Just by practicing yoga poses (asanas) using awareness,  we can develop courage and step into the unknown with more ease. As we grow our perspectives and increase fitness, we may experience fear of the unknown & of what lies beyond our comfort level. To grow and learn, heal acute/chronic injuries & to improve our mental health requires stepping into unknown territory and embodying new truths.  Our apprehension fades as we foster courage.  New found confidence encourages us to trust our own calm mind and see where balance lies.

With practice, we can calm the mind chatter so we can feel our body more. By practicing yoga you can develop more courage & face the unknown with more confidence. Learn to build more strength and mobility with the tools of a quieter mind and a courageous heart. Find out the many more tools that yoga has to offer.

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