"Atha yoga anushasam " (Chapter 1, v.l Yoga Sutras of Patanjali): "Now the discipline of yoga is presented."
/Somewhere around 200 AD, Patanjali, a Sankrit scholar, teacher and physician, wrote the 156 verses of the Yoga Sutras, a documentation of the extensive wisdom of yoga from its history up to that point. These Yoga Sutras include in a very sophisticated manner, all three aspects of the study of yoga: mental, physical and spiritual. The information contained in their four chapters reveal a time where oral teaching/chanting was common in a "teacher to student" learning style and that this was essential to the long term passing of information from one generation to the next. What is understated here is that the teacher is necessary for the student to understand the depth of the wisdom contained in this primary text on yoga. In general the Sutras teach us about ourselves, and encourage us to learn about our own human nature. The depth of this written work becomes exponentially deeper and more valuable when the student gives it full attention. The effect comes full circle when the student becomes the teacher, not just in passing the wisdom to the next set of students, but in evolving as a human being, understanding one's true nature and learning to use one's birthright gifts.
The very first yoga sutra: "Atha yoga anushasam " (Chapter 1, v.l) translates to mean
"Now the discipline of yoga is presented ."
Patanjali did not waste words. "Atha," = "Now" and implies the following important things:
1. The student is ready to learn
2. The teacher is ready to teach
3. Both have arrived into the present, in the "now." This concept of "now" is foundational to the rest of the practice of yoga.
The word “anusasanam” is is loosely translated as “exposition'" and yoga here is implied to be a discipline. Therefore the progress and advancement comes by applying oneself with perserverence and dedication to becoming learned.
We invite you to join us on our essential yoga journey, here.....now.....