by: federico stevanin

This week, we are looking at some key passages in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. These are the basic instructions for the practice of yoga. Of Course, a short one-week look at one passage per day will not give a full idea of  the sutras, but some great support can be found.

Today: “These mental modifications are restrained by practice and non-attachment.” – Patanjali I:12, translation Sri Swami Satchidananda

Remember that the mental modifications are basically the swirling, whirling thoughts and ideas that can make you feel the mind is running amok. We can hold them steady when we practice yoga and use non-attachement.

Non-attachment can be a confusing concept for some people. It doesn’t mean a lack of caring. I think of it as meaning something like caring enough to allow things to be as they are and still be true to your own nature. It is something more of a radical acceptance of the way things are. Do we act when necessary to  help stop others from harming someone? Yes. But doing this with non-attachment would mean that you do not take it personally that the thief has stolen from you, or that the dog bites. It is the nature of some things to hurt. If you pet a bumble bee, it will sting, and it is not personal. It is also the nature of some things to not hurt. We cannot avoid pain or discomfort all of the time, but accepting it makes it a little less likely to cause ripples in the mind. How we interact with those things that may be difficult can teach us if we are not attached and yet kind.

This lessening of the ripples of thoughts in the mind is the practice of yoga.

Yoga Pose of the Day: Boat Pose – Navasana

Yogic Concept of the Day: Practice and Non-attachment. I allow myself and others to be what they are. I let go of attachment to outcomes and expectations.