Well, not really, but consider that even Patanjali realizes that this definition is way too hard for, say, someone like me and opens chapter two of the Yoga Sutras with a more accessible definition.
We are not as enlightened as way back when, the time of the Rishis, and so teachers of our times have recognized that "what yoga is" needs to be taught in different words, for different people, of different levels.
I found these 32, I am sure there are lots more, if you think there is one missing go ahead and let me know in the comments.
BKS Iyengar:
1.- Yoga is the rule book for playing the game of Life, but in this game no one needs to lose. It is tough and you need to train hard, It requires the willingness to think for yourself, to observe and correct, and to surmount occasional setbacks. It demands honesty sustained application, and above all love in your heart.
2.- The aim of yoga is to discover our immortal self.
3.- Yoga is concened with this fusion of nature and soul because this is the essence of human life
4.- Yoga is about how the will, working with intelligence and the self-reflective consciousness can be free
5.- Yoga is not about external display but internal cultivation, it is beautiful as well as Divine
6.- This practice of yoga is to remove the weeds from the body so that the garden can grow
7.- The challenge of yoga is to go beyond our limits within reason
8.- The practice of yoga is about reducing thesize of the subliminal mounds and setting us free from
these
9.- Yoga is a powerful tool for liberating ourselves from unwanted, ingrained patterns
10. Yoga is meditation and meditation is yoga
Patanjali
11.-Yoga is mastered only by long persistent nonstop practice, with zeal and determination
Krishna in the Bagabvhad Gita
12.-Yoga is skill in action
13.-Of the two paths Arjuna, yoga is the more direct
14.-The essence of yoga is equanimity
Ferguson
15.-Yoga is the union of the individual psyche with the transcendental self
16.-Yoga is never a do it yourself enterprise. One does not learn Yoga by oneself.
Swami Vivekananda
17.-The whole science of Yoga is directed to the end of teaching men how, by intensifying the power of assimilation to shorten the time for reaching perfection.
Srivatsa Ramaswami
18.- The real goal of yoga is to know the true nature of the self
19.-Yoga is the process or practice by which transformation (parinama) is achieved
Krishna Pattabhy Jois
20.-Yoga is 99.5% practice and 0.5 % theory:
21.- Yoga is universal not one man's method
22.- Yoga is not [to be done for] physical purposes, yoga is for internal cleaning
David Hurwitz
23.- Yoga is all about channging our samskaras, about transforming our minds
Richard Freeman
24.- Yoga reveals itself when we allow our senses, or inelligence, and our bodies to unfold free of a self image or any sort of goal or motivation
25.- Yoga begins with listening, when we listen we are giving space to what is
T.K.V. Desikachar
26.- Mastery of yoga is really measured by how it influences our day to day living, how it enhances our relationships, how it promotes clarity and peace of mind
27.- Yoga is to attain what was previously unattainable
28.- Yoga is action with undivided, uniterrupted attention
29.- Yoga is the movement from one point to another, higher one
30.- Yoga is the bringing together, the unifying of two things
31.- These [3 above] definitions of yoga have one thing in common: "something changes"
I am going to try one:
32.-Yoga is the alchemy of our minds into purity
What is yours?
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Picture (top) of Patanjali from from Wikkipedia, created by this user.
Book Recommendations on what yoga is:
Light on Life
The Heart of Yoga
Hi Claudia. Firstly, thanks for sharing your experiences in Mysore. How long are you there for?
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question; I rather like 'yoga is, waking up'. I don't remember the source of this, and it is hideously simple, but it does rather sum up how I feel about it as the years roll by.
Steve, you are welcome I am enjoying it for a little while here! :-)
ReplyDeleteI like "yoga is waking up" very nice! simple, short, to the point... it works!! that is 33 :-)
I consider Yoga to be a preparation for the path of wisdom /self-investigation /Atma Vichara as the following quote of Sri Ramana Maharshi illustrates :
ReplyDeleteYogis teach "chitta vritti nirodha" ( i.e control of the activities of the mind through concentration ) ,whereas Jnanis speak of Self-investigation ( Atma -vichara) . Peace brought by concentration gives only temporary relief , but the path of wisdom brings complete cessation of sorrows and Supreme peace - Sri Ramana Maharshi
I like your definition as being "preparation for the path of wisdom", preparation for wisdom... for happiness... guess the raja yoga path in particular is suited for some types, I suppose I am more of a karma yogi... the one in the action, maybe not as bright...
ReplyDeleteThanks for compiling this huge list of yoga quotes! It was really fun to read! I really like the idea of yoga taking what is impossible and making it possible.
ReplyDeleteMy definition of yoga would be "Yoga is the transformation of the difficult to the graceful, both on the mat and off"
My teacher was always fond of reminding us of something she learned from David Life (Jivamukti):
ReplyDelete“Yoga is not something you can do. Yoga is who you are. Yoga is the natural state.”
Here's mine: Yoga is not what you think!
ReplyDeleteI'm just paraphrasing Patanjali's, "Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind." I think his is the best and only one we'll ever need. It's the most important sutra to meditate on. Yoga is not what you think. Just like, the truth cannot be known, it can only be experienced. Ideas, definitions, metaphors, these are all products of thought. Yoga is not what you think, so how can you define it using your thoughts. So if you want a definition of yoga, get to experiencing it.
Tony, good one, is not what you think, or neti neti neti like the Indians say, not this not that not that...
ReplyDeleteI find that Patanjali's definition is very good however hard to grasp for, say, someone like me, that is why I am starting my study of the sutras on chapter two where he says that for someone like me yoga is attained by 3 things 1) devotion surrendering 2) studying the texts and 3) accepting every pain that comes along as purification....
Nevertheless like your definition