yogas fundamental gifts - Sthiram sukham
Yoga belongs to one of the six systems (darshanas) of Indian philosophy.
Darshana means 'reflection'.
Yoga is one of the six systems that helps us to see the truth about who we 'truly' are and how the world works.
Another of the systems is called Samkhya. Samkhya is the theoretical source of Yoga.
The others are Nyaya, Vaisesika, Purva Mimamsa and Uttar Mimamsa (Vedanta)
Yoga's fundamental gifts to our overall practice and life are steadiness, discernment and self-knowledge helping us to truly thrive. The meaning of Yoga has been so lost in the modern era.
The word ASANA (the physical aspect of yoga) only gets mentioned four times in the Yoga Sutra. Modern yoga has become an even more extreme version of that, becoming this dance to music in hot sweaty rooms.
Yoga's distinct elements of focus are: Stirham, Sukham, Stithi, Viveka, Klesha and Karma.
• Sthiram = physical stability and resilience.
• Sukham = mental ease and tranquility.
• Sthiti = unsurpassed calm.
• Viveka = clear seeing and discernment.
• Klesha = the causes of our suffering.
• Karma = the wheel of cause and effect.
For the next weeks we’ll be moving through these elements starting with Sthiram Sukham asanam, Steadiness and Ease. This is the foundation of the fundamentals gifts, it all begins with this. We miss out on so much of ourselves when we’re jumping from thing to thing and rushing around.
Discover deeper parts of yourself this week in practice at Bhav.
Namaste 🙏🏼