Alistair Shearer’s talk on – Transcending the text: reading, reflection and realignment – was truly inspiring. He said that yoga philosophy offers an insightful guide for fostering an open heart and mind leading to insight and wisdom; particularly important in our challenging times. Starting with the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali dating from the third century AD; Alistair spoke about how deeply illuminating the text is. Bringing our attention to the well know first verse (1.1) “atha yoga-anuśāsana” (And now the teaching on yoga begins), he spoke about how at first reading it appears very simple; yet it contains a deeply meaningful message. “And” implies that everything that has come before; even from our previous lives has brought the student to this moment, where deep learning can happen. “Now” directly draws us into the unconditional present moment, which is vital for letting go all that encumbers our freedom and enables us to cultivate a more open receptive mind.
Moving on to the second sutra (1.2) ‘yogaś-citta-vr̥tti-nirodhaḥ, Alistair says it is best understood as- yoga is the settling of the mind into silence. The Sanskrit word nirodhaḥ, by origin is an agricultural term for “damming,” and suggests diverting rather than stopping thoughts by force. The mind becomes peaceful and settled when supported by a relaxed, enjoyable asana practice. The point here being that mental silence is the true point of yoga; it is the basis for a deeper knowing.
Alistair then moved on to talk about the Mundaka Upanishad. When asked for the revelation of the knowledge that explains all things, the sage Angiras differentiates between “lower knowledge” (the text) and “higher knowledge”, which is the direct experience of the eternal; that which is limitless and which is known as silence. The sacred Vedic texts themselves encourage the movement towards transcending the written word in order to reach a state of inner quiet. The most important thing being; to settle the mind before striving after intellectual understanding.
Likewise, Alistair says that the Bhagavad Gita shows how inner stillness enables us to participate more wisely and with thoughtful action. Arjuna asks for Krishna’s guidance when he is faced with an impossible task. Krishna advises Arjuna to simply “be”. The instruction being ” yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi ” meaning to bring the expanded awareness and stillness cultivated in practice into the challenges of daily life. We cannot control what arises in our lives however we can choose our reactions: by cultivating a sense of inner harmony we can increase our sense of presence and this will bring openness to new possibilities, creating a greater sense of acceptance and agency in our lives.
Shearer says that yoga enables deep relaxation which can result in a natural self-purifying release of stored energy, helping to heal unaddressed traumatic experiences held in the subtle body. He emphasises that Pranayama is a powerful tool, which sluices the system releasing blocked channels (Nadis) where past experiences are held and promotes well-being on an emotional and physical level. All of which brings expansion and happiness and which requires a deep and regular commitment to practice. He also highlights the power of Sanskrit as a “mantric language,” the vibrations having a direct effect on our nervous systems, which facilitates a deep release and enables us to go beyond conditioned mind; as does music and sound baths which lead to silence enabling us to gain access to a deeper understanding.
The yoga texts guide us on our journey into this quiet unbounded space within each of us, which improves our perception, guides intuition, and provides us with a source of wisdom and strength to participate with kindness and compassion in the world. For me the essence of Alistair’s talk was the idea that the understanding of the texts is akin to “planting seeds”; as we gain a deeper and more personal awareness of their powerful meaning which is accessed through embracing Silence. How succinct!