motivation for doing yoga

3.50 these extraordinary capabilities can be gained through samyama, should not be the final goal, in fact: "Freedom the last goal of yoga, is attained only when the desire to acquire extraordinary knowledge is rejected and the source of obstacles is completely controlled"
Desikachar

3.49 Iyengar "By destruction of the seeds of bondage and the renunciation of even these powers, comes eternal emancipation."
Iyengar talks about the seeds of sorrow, bondage and weakness - that comes if we mistakes the extraordinary power of yoga as the goal for doing yoga - the goal for engaging in the process...
When we pursue the goal of yoga (kaivalya) and renounce the powers that comes along the way- the self can achieve absolute independence and abide in it's own nature.

So I've felt great and free in some respects - by doing yoga on a hard situation in my life I've felt free and powerful like never before. But this sutra brings me awareness of what a dead-end it is to pursue the nice sensations of doing yoga. This sutra suggests to me, that maybe this is just part of what comes along the journey, not the goal for the journey. Maybe I can become totally independent in the challenging situation and neutral - not even feel great and strong and free. Just be - not feel- free... I'm curious and willing to try anything to become free from this dependent state of being (when the dependence is hooked on stimuli, affirmations, people, success and whatever that comes along).

For class; find out motivation for doing yoga, connect to this during class.
To go for neutrality and being free.
Namasté
Jenni Saunte

flawless perception of reality

Sutra 3.49 (Desikachar translation and count) “When there is clear understanding of the difference between the Perceiver and the mind, all the various states of mind and what affects them become known. Then, the mind becomes a perfect instrument for the flawless perception of all needs to be known.”
Oj I love this! Clear perception is my goal. My last six years have been dominated by a passionate love for reality – all included – even some of the worst things I could imagine to see, doesn’t touch this love for reality and the sensation of being real – authentic.
I’m told by my master to keep my eyes on the reason for doing yoga – not to be getting lost in the vast playing field of yoga. I guess this is it – yoga makes me more real and makes it possible to see what really is – even though it still just is in glimpses and moments. I treasure them.

Other stuff I’ve practiced this week and will continue on is keeping it simple and basic. I don’t fool around. I show up on my mat every day. What’s gets done gets done. I don’t even spend time thinking about the rest.
I’ve been teaching chair supported asanas – it’s like having a new toy. But here I also stay with the basics, I don’t try to do something advanced. Not that my lovely students couldn’t do it, but because I need to keep me grounded and real :-) also as a teacher.

So – flawless perception – to you all :)
Namasté
Jenni

keeping it simple

Sutra 3.49:“By mastery over the senses the yogi’s speed of body, senses and mind matches that of the soul, independent of primary causes of nature. Unaided by consciousness, she subdues the first principle of nature (mahat).” (Iyengar translation)
(This is Desikachars counting sutra 3.48, I was wrong, they still have different count)

I really have no experience with this. It reminds me of how many people say that flying goes so fast “you can’t get your soul with you”. And this sutra turns it around, to yoga can give us to always be in sync :-)

To work this, without having an experience to build upon I chose to work with coordination and synchronization. To let body, mind and breath be one. Inspired by this sutra I will continue my focus to find truth and reality and hereby I trust I get closer to mahat. I need to keep things easy right now and look at what I know and have experience with these days.

Inventory, daily posture practice and you know, seek reality, clean house, help others :-) will be it for this week.
Namaste
jenni

Mastery over the senses

Sutra 3.47: "Mastery of over the senses is achieved through samyama on the ability of the senses to observe their respective objects, how such objects are understood, how the individual identifies with the object, how the object, the senses, the mind and the Perciever are interrelated and what results from such perception." (Desikachar translation)


I’ve been thought to monitor and measure my body in the asana, to get deeper and clearer on what’s going on and who I really am. Well here I’m given the characteristics of mind that assist perception; heaviness, activity and clarity. So I can monitor my perception, on what characteristic is dominant at the perceptive moment. This in order to measure the influence this have on my idea of the object (reality)and perhaps manage the influence to become less so that I get more close to the truth, closer to reality.


Iyengar writes "at some stage when the senses are appeased, they and the organs of action becomes passive, and a state of quietness is experienced.” Normally this is a passing state, until the next stimuli triggers the senses and we go of hunting for more (pleasure) or trying to avoid it (pain)… But samyama on this process may set us free, from being driven by the senses and this is what this summer retreat have been about for me – getting more and more free.

I thought I was going to get inspired as a teacher and more efficient as a teacher, this might be – I have no contact to this, but there is a clear contact to the experience of getting to know me honestly, authentically and I have a clear contact to this promise of "being set free" from being driven by wants and fears.

Namasté

Jenni