3 Mar 2020 HYN Himalayan Yoga Academy
Yoga is the science of life. It is ancient science with more than 15,000 historical scripture mentioned in Rig Veda, first sacred text of the world. But as a first pure and authentic text is Yoga Darshna out of Shata-darshan (six eastern philosophies) written or designed by Maharshi Patanjali. Today whatever practice all over the world is based on this Yoga philosophy. This is the first recommended yogic text. More about Yogashchittavrittinirodhah.
Before this, so many descriptions and commentaries were partially or briefly touched on or scripted in different texts. Such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Samkhya Yoga Darshana, etc. We give here in the Himalayan Yoga Academy the basic concept about sacred texts and the yogic message to Human beings.
Yoga Darshana is the complete text of Yoga for beginning levels to higher levels of practitioners and readers. It has 195 verses and is divided into four chapters. When Maharshi Patanjali made a plan to write this philosophy, firstly he started from “Atha Yogaanushaasanam”, which means now the discipline of yogic science begins. Immediately, he formulated the definition of Yoga “Yogashchittavrittinirodhah” P. Y 1.2. in the second verse. Here in our Himalayan Yoga Academy, we focus on the different authentic and sacred definitions mentioned in sacred and holy texts.
Yoga is “Yogashchittavrittinirodhah,” that means the cessation of modifications of thoughts in chitta or Mind; that is Yoga. Chitta is more about the Mind. Chitta includes Mind, Egos, Intellects, and Consciousness all together. Yoga is concerned with the Mind and supreme consciousness, but has no concern for the body. The body is something, just the foundation or device for higher practice. Yoga is the ability to direct the mind exclusively toward an object and sustain that direction without any distractions.
“Yogashchittavrittinirodhah” – Yoga + Sh + Chitta + Vritti + Nirodhah: Yoga means the cessation of fluctuating thoughts in chitta. Chitta is a composition of four fundamentals, e.g., mind, ego, intellect, and consciousness. Maharshi Patanjali gives his formal definitions of yoga for the classical school of Yoga itself: Yoga is the stilling of the changing states of the mind or the stilling of all thought.
The commentators have packed a substantial amount of dense information into their writings on this Yoga Darshana or Sutra. Since Maharshi Patanjali defined and summarized the entire system of Yoga in these verses, the commentators use this Darshana to lay out the psychological and metaphysical foundation of the Yoga process. They explain how Yoga helps practitioners calm, reduce, and still unwanted and excessive thoughts to reach a state of inner clarity. Patanjali presents Yoga as the state of being free from mental distractions. Moreover, he formulates and channels the remaining 193 verses with precision to guide practitioners toward their ultimate spiritual goals.