“Yogah cittavrtti nirodhah.” ~ Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.2
The Indian sage Patanjali is regarded as the founder of formal yoga philosophy with his Yoga Sutra (the Sutras) written in 500BC.
The Sutras defines the purpose of Yoga “yogah cittavrtti nirodhah” which can be translated as: “to still or suspend the thought waves (or fluctuations) of the mind”. As a way of attaining this stillness, Eight Limbs or steps need to be observed, practiced and ultimately experienced:
- Yama – universal ethical and social principles about how to live in harmony in the world: non-violence; truthfulness; non-stealing; sexual restraints and non-greed.
- Niyama – observances and personal standards of conduct: physical and mental cleanliness; contentment; austerity/simplicity; self-study and acceptance of a Supreme Being (or higher power).
- Asana – the practice of physical postures and poses, to strengthen and purify the body and nervous system.
- Pranayama – control of or extension of breath (and prana, life-force energy), as a means to still the mind.
- Pratyhara – withdrawal of the senses, to practice internal focus and non-attachment to external desires or aversions.
- Dharana – concentration: the ability to focus the the mind on one thing without distractions.
- Dhyana – meditation: the state of emptiness between thoughts.
- Samadhi – profound meditation, tranquillity, total absorption: the realisation that we are one with all of life.
Lineage
The yoga tradition is vast and complex. There are different branches or classical schools of yoga - Hatha, Karma, Jnana, Bhakti, Mantra, Laya (Tantra) and Raja Yoga - each one suiting different types of people depending on their personality and disposition. Yoga also forms part of the contemplative and compassionate aspects of Buddhism and Jainism.
"An integral part of all classical schools of yoga is their lineage, or a tracing of their roots from teacher to teacher to teacher. The importance of a lineage to any tradition is that due to the interplay of different perspectives brought together by generations of teachers, the teachings automatically encompass subtle breadth and depth - a merging of awakening minds. The presence of lineage guarantees a transmission of the most essential and subtle experience of yoga which otherwise can be missed in the shadow of the ego." ~ Richard Freeman, Certified Ashtanga Yoga Teacher.
At Momentum, our lineage is traced directly through Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and his teacher Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who influenced much of the teachings of Hatha Yoga as we know it today.
Living until 1989 at the age of 100, Krishnamacharya was an Indian yoga master (guru) and Sanskrit scholar who lived in South India. Krishnamacharya directly trained students who were devoted to yoga, according to their own capabilities and uniqueness. Four of his most devoted students went on to become the modern 'masters' of different styles (and lineages) of Hatha Yoga - Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (Ashtanga Yoga), BKS Iyengar (Iyengar Yoga), TKV Desikachar (Viniyoga) and Indra Devi, known as the "First Lady of Yoga." Other well-known styles of Hatha Yoga include Sivananda, Satyananda and Anusara Yoga.
