Asanas
Asana means “seat” in Sanskrit. In Yoga, the different poses or postures are called asanas. There is only one sutra in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali that mentions the word asanas. It says: Sthira sukham asanam. Sthira means “steady” and indicates a static pose without movement. While sukham typically means “happy,” it means “comfortable” or “relaxed” in this case. This sutra indicates that The Yoga Sutras are referring to static poses, not done in the spirit of competition.
Karma and Samskaras Part 2/2
As long as the unconscious mind remains, the impressions will ripen, come forward and manifest in the form of birth, span of life and experience. Just like a plant that emerges out of its winter sleep, even though it may have completely dried up, so also a disembodied being is reborn due to the impressions in the jiva that must be lived out. Thus, death is like winter sleep.
Karma and Samskaras Part 1/2
Karma means “action;” these are deeds you perform. Samskaras are “impressions,” created in the mind by actions. These samskaras in turn lead to more karma; repeated action strengthens the samskaras. There are four kinds of karma.
Understanding ignorance, death, meditation and samadhi
“If you understand only these issues — ignorance, death, meditation, and samadhi — everything will be revealed to you. No book can go beyond this.”
The Essential Yoga Sutras
I have selected 74 essential sutras that are useful to meditators on the path of internal research. Sincere seekers, who wish to unravel the greatest of all mysteries, the mind, can begin here.