An article written by our Yoga teacher Mr. B Praveen Das
Yoga is the cessation of the modifications of the mind, says sage Patanjali.
The chitta, the consciousness, is in turmoil, tossed about by the onrush of thought patterns. When the chitta is made free from the rolling thoughts, it gets a glimpse of its true self that is tranquility. Patanjali prescribes the practice of eight limbs or Astanga yoga to experience the blissful state of chitta or mind. In that tranquil state of existence the yogi assumes the attitude of the witness or sakshibhava. A mere witness, unattached to the objective and subjective experiences of world, the Yogi remains in supreme calmness. An attitudinal shift, a revolution in perception, uniqueness in the interpretation of life, a benign attitude to the disparities and discrepancies of life, the yogi shines in the blaze of a new awakening.
That spiritual awakening is possible only if the conscious self is made free from the cacophony of thoughts which spring forth from the pores of desires, greed, ambition, lust and false notions of progress. The yoga sadhana is a tapasya, an intense practice. The path of yoga is open to all, but the state of yoga is reserved only for a few. The yoga sadhaka must be alert and on guard against the temptations which spring up from within and without. Trivialities and fripperies of life prowl around the yogi, to creep up and entangle him/her back to the samsara, mundane life.
The regular study of yogic literature and its elevating philosophy is the sine qua non to prevent the sadhaka from spiritual complacency and the eventual downfall. If the wisdom and ideals of yoga is confined to the asana hall and is limited within its walls, it will remain walled, inaccessible to the practitioner.
The wisdom of yoga must be tested and examined in the juggernaut of ordinary world propelled by the instincts and the antics of living.
To be in the state of “citta vritti Nirodhah” the sadhaka must study (svadhyaya), and remember the ideals
That way, the seer sits in his own true splendour.
“Drsta svarupe avasthanam”