Swadhyaya on Abhyasa
Swadhyaya - The Yoga Institute Alumni Association
organized its first meeting after reconstitution of the Managing committee on
Sunday 13 May, 2012 which was attended by 28 participants at 11 am.
Welcome
Geeta Udasi, the Chairperson welcomed the
participants and explained the main objective of the Swadhyaya Group, “The Yoga
Institute Alumni Association is a platform for all the Trained Teachers (3/7/12
monthers) to maintain and enhance fellowship amongst the qualified teachers of
the Yoga Institute, to review and maintain the bond between these teachers and
the Institute as well as its teachings, to interact and share experiences and
showcase their talents etc.”
She then invited views of the participants about their
understanding of what Swadhyaya’s activities should be, their interest to remain
associated with the group and their vision about their own role as members of
the group.
To summarize, all felt that self development and understanding
one’s own self could be possible by sharing and learning from each other. Regular
meetings could strengthen fellowship and benefit all.
Recreation
The sharing session was followed by a recreation
activity conducted by Shreyas Munshi. Activities like Dumb Charades helped
break the ice where beautifully formed yoga sentences were depicted by some of
the participants silently to be guessed by group members. Participants got the opportunity
to guess and show their clear understanding and communication skills.
Topic of the Month- Abhyasa
Suchitra Pareekh had a lively sharing session inviting
the group to express their views on what they consider as Abhyasa and what is it that anyone was practicing to the effect of Abhyasa. The sharing was then put into
context with reference to the Yoga Sutra 1.12 where Abhyasa is suggested by Maharshi Patanjali for the highest kind of
students after stating the mental modifications which occupy the mind which is
not in Nirodha state.
Overview
on Abhyasa by Niranjan Gogia
The overview of the concept of Abhyasa was sent by Niranjan Gogia which is being reproduced below.
"In Yoga Sutra, the concept of Abhyasa and Vairagya comes in chapter I as a technique to control the modifications or Vrttis of the mind. But practically we are hardly aware of the innumerable fluctuations the mind is
undergoing. So how do we do Abhyasa
to control these Vrttis?
In our daily life, we are hardly doing anything
which can be equated to
Abhyasa, towards control of the Vrttis. As far as yoga practice or
Sadhana is concerned, some of us may
be relatively regular in our
Asana, Pranayama practices. Very few of us might be practicing Yamas
and Niyamas consciously as a
daily practice of yoga. Do these
constitute Abhyasa? If yes, how they
are helpful in control of the
Vrttis?
Patanjali divides Vrttis into Klishta and Aklishta. Finally the aim is
to control all the Vrittis. But
initially holding on to Aklishta and
excluding or controlling the Klishta Vrttis
has been
recommended. Holding of one Vrtti in
exclusion of other Vrttis also
constitutes Vrtti Nirodha or yoga.
In this scheme where do our efforts in the form of practice of Asana,
Pranayama, Mauna, Maitri, Tapa,
Isvarpranidhana etc. fall in. Any
yoga technique when practiced successfully brings about a change in
our mental makeup. It may create certain steadiness in the form of
better self awareness, relaxation, calmness, harmony, sense of peace,
sense of confidence and re-assurance. All such experiences are as a
result of the Aklishta Vrttis being
experienced by the mind.
