Patanjali's Yoga Sutras begins with the line: Atha yoga anushasanam.
It only makes sense that a new blog should do the same, so here is one translation that I quite like:
The joyful embrace of a life lived in reality is the path of yoga, and it is here now.
When you look at life, it can be observed that everything is moving towards union: balance, expansion, survival, peace, emptiness, fullness. Yoga is a natural fact of life, and embracing that as a conscious path guided by the experience and wisdom of those that have traveled this path before us represents a starting point for the study of Yoga.
When we come to understand the underlying unity of these fundamental urges, we see that everything is an expression of consciousness. Though parts of the whole may appear to be different, even in conflict, it all springs forth from Oneness. All that is left for us to do is align with that. This alignment is the 'anushusanam' of Patanjali's opening sutra.
I realised the beauty of this sutra only recently, in listening to Vijay Gopala at a course with Yoga Gita, which is in Mysore (India). Vijay, with his vibrant wisdom and knowledge of sanskrit brought me to the understanding of the meaning and implications of anushasanam. Prior to this, I will confess that my reading of Patanjali's yoga sutras was shallow, and I can hardly blame myself when most translations look like this:
Atha yoga anushasanam. Now, the teachings of yoga. —Yoga Sutra 1.1
The implication of a wilful adoption of yoga, inherent in the term anushasanam could be life-changing, especially when establishing a regular practice. There are people who put themselves through torture. They might think that it is yoga, or discipline, or necessary to achieve the goals they have set for themselves. They are under a grave misconception. To continually do something against your will, against your better judgement, in the mistaken belief that it will lead to health or some other outcome in the long run… This is shasanam. Rules. This is not freedom, and certainly not the willful adoption of a life lived in reality. As long as we allow ourselves to be subjected to rules, confinements, self-limiting beliefs, we are destroying the self.
Atha. We cannot defer the happening of union to the future. Yoga is here now.
Yoga is union. It cannot be achieved through any transaction, and certainly not violence to ourself. It is the very practice of unity.
Anushasanam. A life in yoga is a life in celebration; a path willingly embraced.
Atha Yoga Anushasanam. I hope that you can enjoy this journey with me as we explore the richness of what yoga has to offer, which is, of course, the richness of life itself. Let us begin together.