Dr. Suetra presents: Yoga Sutra of Patanjali 1.2 yogah citta vritti nirodhah
Yoga is the stilling
of the changing states of mind~
The act and policy of
No chitta* left behind.
Yoga is the re-channeling
of habits of the mind~
Capacity for Contentment grows
And Vrittis* get declined.
Yoga is the resolution of
the agitations of the mind.
A uniting of consciousness in the
heart of all mankind.
Yoga is the settling of the
mind into silence.
Nirodha* the misconceptions,
And ignorant defiance.
Yoga is the deepening into
the state of tranquility~
Out of the surface ripples~
And into heart’s reality.
Yoga is a steady process
of fire and nectar release ~
A move toward settling
into the natural state of peace.
Practice the yoga of quelling
your scattered surface thoughts~
before slinging the reactive,
impulsive, negative shots.
Instead of playing Whacamole with
your worries, doubts and fears~
Consider focusing your attention on
the music of the spheres.
Each inhale, think calm~
Each exhale, think peace.
Favor these words~
Your distractions will decrease~
*Citta means mind, or consciousness.
*Vritti means tendency or fluctuation.
*Nirodha means restriction or suspension.
As Earth Day approaches this year, I am struck by what it means to truly foster Peace on this planet. I remember as a child, learning about anti-nuclear protestors who chained themselves to fences and were forcibly removed and jailed. These brave souls became my heroines and heroes in the late 1970’s and 1980’s. I was moved to tears singing Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind” and hearing stories of civil disobedience and the message of non-violent resistance. Later in the 1990’s, when I danced barefoot on my very first Earth Day, a lump would form in my throat when I celebrated each small victory (and the Gigantic Hearts) of environmental protestors who sacrificed so much to save a single tree and worked to preserve open space for our children’s children. Peace.
