”Sahavāsam (Dwelling Together)
– What you associate with becomes part of you.”
TKV Desikachar January 15th 2000
State of the Mind
“It is possible to be aware of the state of the mind
by observing the body during an Āsana practice.”
Reference for this post:
Yoga Studies – TKV Desikachar England 1992
To reach a point we have not reached before…..
Yoga
“to reach a point we have not reached before”
-TKV Desikachar
Conscious breathing is one of the greatest…..
“Conscious breathing is one of the greatest
tools to influence the effect of the posture
without changing the posture”
-TKV Desikachar
What is most important is that we live in the present……
“We can speculate on the future.
We can recollect from the past.
But what is most important is
that we live in the present.”
– TKV Desikachar
The mind is part of a team…..
” The mind is part of a team,
along with the body, the breath and the senses.
Everything that we do is a product of that team,
but the mind is generally the boss……..
We know that the state of the mind affects the breath and,
luckily for us, the opposite is also true”
What are we Seeking – TKV Desikachar
…..it is the purpose of Yoga to unify their movement
“While it is theoretically possible for the body, the breath, and the mind to work independently, it is the purpose of Yoga to unify their movement. In our very first practice classes, we will experience this unification. What appears as Yoga to an outsider is mainly the physical aspects of our practice. They will not be aware of how we breathe, how we feel the breath, and how we coordinate breathing with physical movement.”
TKV Desikachar – Religiousness in Yoga, ch2, p13
Begin your practice from where your are…..
“Begin your practice from where you are,
finish your practice where you are going.”
– TKV Desikachar 1978
Shared from Paul Harvey’s Yoga Journal
Progress must be seen as the distance from…..
”Progress must be seen as the distance from the starting point,
rather than the more usual reference of the distance from the finishing point.”
Duḥkha is a disturbance of the mind…..
“Duḥkha is a disturbance of the mind. While sometimes the words sorrow, misery, and disease are used to define duḥkha, it is best identified as a feeling of restriction.
Somehow something deeply disturbs us and we feel restricted.
This restriction is duḥkha…….
We all aim to remove duḥkha……..
That is what Yoga is trying to do.”
TKV Desikachar, Religiousness in Yoga
If you don’t know yourself…..
“If you don’t know yourself how can you think of something which is more than you or higher than you?”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 29
The spirit of viniyoga…..
“The spirit of viniyoga is starting from where one finds oneself.
As everybody is different and changes from time to time,
there can be no common starting point,
and ready-made answers are useless.
The present situation must be examined and
the habitually established status must be re-examined.”
– TKV Desikachar
Faith
‘If we do not think of the positive
in the most difficult situations, we panic.
And once we panic we are lost.’
Read full article by TKV Desikachar
Śraddhā is essential for progress whether…..
“Śraddhā is essential for progress, whether in Yoga or any other endeavour. It is a feeling that cannot be expressed or intellectually discussed. It, however, is a feeling that is not always uncovered in every person.
When absent or weak, it is evident through the lack of stability and focus in a person. Where present and strong, it is evident through the commitment, perseverance and enthusiasm the person exhibits.
For such a person, life is meaningful.”
– TKV Desikachar
Satviniyoga – To give the right thing to the right person…..
“To give the right thing to the right person at the right time is Satviniyoga.
Don’t look at the file, look at the student!”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983 – Paul Harvey
Yoga serves the individual…..
Posted by Michele Harney, Yoga Rathgar & Dundrum – Dublin
“Yoga serves the individual, and does so through inviting transformation rather than by giving information”
– TKV Desikachar
For Yoga Teachers…..
Posted by Michele Harney, Yoga Rathgar & Dundrum – Dublin
“For Yoga Teachers it is important to understand the movement of the mind as well as the body.”
– TKV Desikachar December 1st 1979
Courtesy – Paul Harvey’s Daily Quotes – Centre for Yoga Studies
Counter Posture in Practice
“Yoga teaches us that with every action there is both a positive and a negative effect. Anything we do in life will have both a positive and a negative effect. We must recognize what effects are positive and what effects are negative. Then we must stress the positive while we neutralize the negative. In all details of āsana, we must follow this principle.”
-TKV Desikachar – Religiousness in Yoga
For Yoga Teachers…..
“For Yoga Teachers it is important to understand
the movement of the mind as well as the body.”
– TKV Desikachar
The Quality of our Breath…..
“The quality of our breath expresses our inner feelings.”
– TKV Desikachar