#yoga philosophy

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[blog-region]

[mariavyasa]

Tara - Dasa Mahavidyas

Dasa Mahavidyas are a group of goddesses from the Indian tantric tradition. The Dasa Mahavidyas are: Kali, Tara, Tripurasundari, Bhubaneshwari, Bhairavi, Chinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bhagalamukhi, Matangi and Kamala. Tara is the bridge between the unmanifest and the manifest. She is connected to the slightly lit up dark blue sky, the color dark blue or blue-black and a transparent white star or brilliant radiance. The meaning of Tara The word Tara means “the savior” or ”the liberator”. Her name originates from the Sanskrit root “tr”, meaning “passing over”. In Buddhist Tantra she is said to take one across/beyond samsara (the cycle of birth-death-rebirth). Tara is the first sonic vibration of manifestation, in the Vedas explained to be OM. OM is said to densify into the elements of creation, which makes Tara the first emanation of creative force. This identification with OM connects Tara to the goddesses Saraswati and Para-Vac. Her identification with Om also connects her to the Ajna chakra in the chakra system. OM is written inside the lotus of the visualization of Ajna chakra. She also seems connected to the three powers of iccha shakti (power of will), jnana shakti (power of knowing) and kriya shakti (power of action) because of her associations with the goddess Para vac and her connection with Ajna chakra. In the Ajna chakra is placed a triangle representing the three main energy channels. These energy channels are connected to iccha, jnana and kriya shakti. Ajna chakra is said to be the place where the voice of intuition/knowing (pratibha) can be heard and received. This happens as the faculties of buddhi (intellect), manas (mind) and ahamkara (identity) have been purified. Bindu As the first manifestation of creative force, Tara, I suggest, may be identified as the first emanation from Bindu into creation. Bindu is a point of infinitely concentrated energy from where all of the multitude of creation is created or returns to Source. Bindu is situated in the Sahasrara, the crown lotus. The union of Shiva (underlying unchanging light) and Shakti (the projection of that source of light, as different manifestations) happens in Bindu. Bindu is also connected to amrita (nectar of immortality). When Shiva and Shakti have reached union in the Sahasrara, amrita (nectar of immortality) is poured down the body of the adept. Tara is connected to amrita in her mythology. Tara in her journey back to source is the last step of ego/separate self merging into the absolute. This dissolution is called pralaya. Tara as the nectar of immortality (amrita) I suggest may be the highest forms of jnana, ichha and kriya shakti; being satyam (truth), shivam (goodness) and sundaram (beauty). Truth being the highest form of knowledge. Goodness being the highest form of will. And beauty being the highest form of action.

[omshantiomyoga]

“Experience the serenity of outdoor yoga in the heart of Rishikesh! 🌿✨

During our Yoga Teacher Training at Om Shanti Om Yoga Ashram, we take our practice beyond the studio—connecting with nature, breathing in the fresh Himalayan air, and flowing with the sacred energy of the Ganges.

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🌞🌿 🧘‍♂️ “Yoga is not just about touching your toes. It’s about what you learn on the way down.” Let your journey to self-discovery begin here! 💫

[rochayoga]

𖣐 Note: Exploring the Yoga Sutras

Yoga Sutra 1.4:

Vṛtti sārūpyam itaratra.

Commonly translated as: At other times, the Seer identifies with the fluctuations of the mind.

Or more simply:

Otherwise, we become absorbed in the movements of the mind.

1.4 explains what happens when the mind is not still.

✦ Vṛtti = mental fluctuations, thoughts, patterns, reactions. ✦ Sārūpyam = taking the same form as, identification with. ✦ Itaratra = at other times, otherwise.

When the mind is turbulent, we mistake ourselves for:

⟢ our thoughts, emotions, fears, desires, memories, identities, stories.

Instead of resting as pure awareness (drasta, the Seer 𖠂), consciousness becomes entangled with mental activity.

In practical terms:

⟡ anger arises, “I am angry” ⟡ anxiety arises, “I am anxious” ⟡ success arises, “I am important”

Patanjali is pointing out that these are identifications with vrittis, not the deepest Self.

[clarathewriter]

The Yoga the West Forgot

There was an evening in Rishikesh when Guru Devendra asked me a question that completely changed my practice.

We were sitting by the Ganges after class. Most students had gone for chai, but I stayed, watching the river catch the last light.

He settled beside me on the stone steps.

"Tell me about yoga in Spain," he said.

I described the studios in Barcelona. The flow classes. The handstands. The beautiful spaces with their Buddha statues and Sanskrit quotes on the walls.

He listened carefully. Then, so gently: "That is one limb. What of the other seven?"

I stared at him.

Other seven?

I'd been practicing yoga for five years, I'd been practicing one-eighth of yoga for five years.

The Eight Limbs Most Studios Never Teach

Guru Devendra introduced me to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras - an ancient text that maps the complete path of yoga.

Not yoga as exercise. Yoga as a system for living.

The text describes eight limbs. Asana (the physical postures) is just the third.

Here's what I'd been missing:

1. Yama - Ethical restraints

(Ahimsa - non-harming, Satya - truthfulness, Asteya - non-stealing, Brahmacharya - wise energy use, Aparigraha - non-possessiveness)

2. Niyama - Personal observances

(Saucha - purity, Santosha - contentment, Tapas - disciplined effort, Svadhyaya - self-study, Ishvara pranidhana - surrender)

3. Asana - Physical postures

This is what most Western classes focus on

4. Pranayama - Breath control

5. Pratyahara - Withdrawal of senses

6. Dharana - Concentration

7. Dhyana - Meditation

8. Samadhi - Absorption/union

Sitting on those stone steps, I realized I'd been building a house starting with the roof.

How the West Changed Yoga

Yoga came to the West in the early 20th century. But something happened in translation.

Western culture was obsessed with fitness. Yoga's physical aspects were concrete, teachable, marketable.

The ethical foundations? Harder to sell.

In Barcelona, my studios offered "Power Yoga" and "Flow." Sixty-minute classes, mostly asana. Brief meditation. Philosophy mentioned in passing, if at all.

Nobody talked about ahimsa - about how practicing non-harm toward your body means actually listening to it.

Nobody discussed satya - being truthful about what your body can do versus what you're forcing it to do.

I'm not saying Western yoga is wrong. It brought yoga to millions. The physical practice opened the door for me too.

But something got lost.

"We kept the Instagram. We lost the inquiry."

Four Weeks in Rishikesh

The ashram schedule began before dawn.

But asana practice didn't start until we'd spent an hour discussing philosophy.

Week 1: The Yamas

Ahimsa - non-harming - came first.

Not just toward others. Toward ourselves.

Every forceful adjustment I'd received in Western classes violated this. Every time I pushed past pain thinking "no pain, no gain," I practiced harm, not yoga.

Guru Devendra said: "Ahimsa means asking - am I honoring my body, or trying to conquer it?"

I thought about every class where I'd competed with the person on the next mat.

Satya - truthfulness - meant being honest about my actual capacity. Not the pose I wished I could do. The one my body could sustain.

Week 2: The Niyamas

Santosha - contentment - was harder than any arm balance.

Could I be content with my practice exactly as it was?

Could I find discipline as something sacred (more on this - read about my morning practice)?

Svadhyaya - self-study - wasn't just reading philosophy. It was honest examination of my patterns.

Why did I practice? What was I trying to prove?

Week 3: Everything Shifted

When we finally emphasized asana, the poses were the same.

But I moved differently.

Each movement became a question: Am I honoring ahimsa? Am I practicing satya? Can I find santosha in this breath?

"The poses were the same. Everything was different."

My friend Ananya explained: "For us, asana prepares the body for meditation. For the West, meditation is the cool-down after workout."

She wasn't being critical. Just observant.

Both paths can lead somewhere. But they start from different places.

Back in Gothenburg

I worried the learning would fade when I got back to Sweden.

Some days, it does.

But most mornings now, before I step on my mat, I pause.

I check in:

Ahimsa - Am I being kind to my body today?

Satya - What is truthfully accessible right now?

Santosha - Can I be content with where I am?

My running along the Göta River became pranayama practice. My journal is svadhyaya.

When I catch myself comparing my practice to others on Instagram, I recognize it - aparigraha, the grasping.

The eight limbs weave through everything.

Sara, my Swedish teacher, asked what I learned in India.

"That I'd been missing seven-eighths."

"And now?"

"Now I'm practicing all eight. Badly, but wholly."

I'm not suddenly enlightened. I still get competitive. I still judge my worth by my flexibility some days.

But now I notice. I recognize when ego enters, and I can choose differently.

The Invitation

Your asana practice is valid.

The physical gateway is real. For many of us, it's the only way we would have found yoga.

But there's more available.

The ethical foundations don't make practice harder. They make it deeper.

Ahimsa transforms how you approach every pose.

Satya changes what "progress" means.

Santosha lets you stop chasing and start inhabiting.

The eight limbs aren't ancient rules to follow rigidly.

They're an invitation to fuller practice.

Yoga can be exercise. That's powerful.

Or yoga can be transformation.

"The body is the doorway, not the destination."

I still practice the same sequences from Barcelona. Downward dog. Warrior. Triangle.

But now each pose asks questions:

Am I practicing harm or healing?

Achievement or awareness?

Grasping or contentment?

Same poses. Different yoga.

What's your experience with yoga beyond the physical practice? Have you explored the yamas and niyamas?

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

[gardenofnea]

see mountain as a synonym for your true nature as Love/consciousness/awareness 🗻

[healthawei]

The Role of Chakras in Yoga

🌀 Feeling out of balance?

✨ Your chakras might need a tune-up!

Discover how yoga, breathwork, and meditation can realign your energy and unlock spiritual growth 🌿🔮