We will be focussing on the Yoga Sutras written 2,000 years ago and exploring some of the threads here to see if we can find any relevance in them for our own lives.
Starting at the very beginning of the first book we learn that ‘Without practice; nothing can be achieved’
This is true; we cannot expect to achieve calmer states of mind, increased flexibility and strength in our bodies without effort.
In the second Sutra we learn about the goal of yoga ‘If you control your mind, you control everything’
This is all very well but I am sure there are times when our minds are hijacked by our thoughts which may lead to a lack of focus or concentration. We may also believe all our thoughts are facts which can lead us into more negative states of mind. After all we are usually our own worst critic; again if we practise observing our thoughts rather than immediately reacting to them then we may find the space to respond with consideration and in an emotionally less charged way.
By the third Sutra we are told we are our own guru!
This will be important in our backbend practices as we should honour our bodies and work only to the edge of our own comfort zone and not go over it. We should be mindful of any stiffness or pain and be kind to ourselves; yoga is about our experience not how we look in a particular asana.
aggsyoga 
Posted on November 8, 2011
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