“Yoga is the stilling of the changing states of mind.”

So, as you can tell, I have officially begun my initiation into the world of yoga, and what better way to start than with a definition of yoga itself?

Pantanjali is widely credited as the inventor of yoga, and his sutras serve as guidance for those aiming to better themselves. This particular sutra stuck out to me, not only because it finally answered my burning question of “what is Yoga?”, but also because I can see why one would need to rest their weary and often overworked brain.  In Pantanjali’s life, and in ours as well, we are assaulted by sensory information. Every minute of every hour, we are hearing, seeing, and feeling things that affect our peace of mind. If you are like me, this overload of sensory information can be chaotic, and leave one feeling confused, without guidance, and agitated.

Luckily, Pantanjali tells us that through the contortions and movements of Yoga, busy people can calm the mind and lets “the seer abide in its own true nature.” Yoga, he explains, allows us to release the rajas and tamas in order to focus on the cittas.

Pantanjali has certainly sparked my curiosity in Indian Philosophy, and given me a very basic understanding of what it means to practice yoga.