Claire Wood

Yoga is an ancient practice from India dating back 5000 years. Yoga was traditionally practised by sages wanting to deepen their spiritual practice. It has since spread throughout the world and has been adapted for almost anyone to practice and benefit from. There are so many lineages and different approaches to Yoga and different sources too.

One most important source is the, Yoga Sūtra-s by Patañjali. Although the idea of yoga did not originate from Patañjali it is believed that he composed the Yogasūtra-s which are said to hold the entire philosophy of yoga within them. There are four chapters and 195 sūtra-s.

A sūtra is an aphorism or thread of thought that can be chanted and has deep meaning. The Sūtra-s were written in devanāgarī script and have been translated by various scholars and Yogis. One of these scholars is T.K.V. Desikachar. In his book 'Heart of Yoga', Desikachar translates sūtra 2 in chapter 1:-

Yogaścittavṛttinirodhaḥ - "Yoga is the ability to direct the mind exclusively towards an object and sustain focus, in that direction, without any distractions."

This is perhaps the most important sūtra. Yoga is really all about the mind and trying to bring it to stillness so we can experience clarity and know ourselves more deeply.

In chapter 2 Patañjali introduces, Rāja Yoga otherwise known as The Eight Limbs of Yoga. The Eight Limbs of Yoga outline a way to achieve this stillness of the mind. It prioritises morality and ethics,Yamas and Niyamas before then progressing to Āsana (seated posture), Prānāyāma ( breath control), and the other limbs; Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), Dharana (concentration), Dyhana (meditation) and Samādhi ( liberation).

The Hathapradīpikā, written by Swami Svātmārāma in the fifteenth century is another massively important source and Sanskrit manual on Hatha yoga. Whereas Patañjali's Sūtra-s focuses on the mind the Hathapradīpikā starts with the purification of the body and this is where the first 15 Āsanas or postures are outlined as well as Prānāyāma techniques, Shatkarma (cleansing techniques), Mudras (seals) and Bhandas (locks). So the practices taught in the Hathapradīpikā eventually lead to Rāja yoga Ie Samādhi (liberation).

When we attend a Yoga class today we usually expect to practice; āsana, prānayāma, maybe some meditation and relaxation. My classes follow the structure set out by the British Wheel of yoga training I have had. I include limbering, āsanas, prānayāma, a short meditation and a long relaxation. I also add a theme relating to some esoteric aspect of yoga.

A most important aspect of my training has been learning to modify the yoga practice, as described above, for each individual student. It is so important to me that people attending my classes not only feel comfortable in their body but go on to experience a really good relaxation at the end as well as some stillness and inner peace.

With all the distractions that we have in our everyday lives the need to relax the body and still the mind is perhaps the reason we have seen an explosion of interest in Yoga. In my own personal experience, I credit yoga for helping me maintain a positive attitude and deal with stressful experiences and work towards a better world for our future generations.

Yoga, when practised regularly can be very beneficial to our physical and mental health. It is a fascinating and huge subject and there is always so much more to learn.