Sutra 1.1

As you may know, the Yoga Sutras have been translated many, many times by many different people. Some may find this confusing, but I think we can gain great wisdom in reading and comparing different translations; noticing the nuances of each word choice and the deeper understanding those nuances bring.

One of my favorite translations of the Sutras is by B.K.S. Iyengar, with its sharp and often succinct commentary, but recently I have been delving into a translation by Nischala Joy Devi, a work which views the sutras through the Heart. When reading the sutras, it's important to find a version that speaks to you. We are all on the same voyage, but we must journey in a way that works for us.

Sutra 1.1 is translated by Iyengar as "Now the practice of yoga." but by Devi as "With humility (an open heart and mind) we embrace the sacred study of yoga." It is not that one set of words is better than the other. The best set of words will be the one that opens your mind, creating true understanding of that which these words are trying to describe.

Here are two more of the opening Sutras, as translated by Nischala Joy Devi:

Sutra 1.2: Yoga is the uniting of consciousness in the heart.

Sutra 1.3: United in the heart, consciousness is steadied, then we abide in our true nature - joy.

So, regardless of whether you have actually practiced on a mat today, practice some yoga wherever you are. Pause for a moment. Become aware of the breath. Return to the present moment, and abide there in your true nature - joy. Of course, life will come barging back in again with problems and demands and emergencies. But once we have found our true nature, we can return there again and again, learning to hold a joyous and loving space in this big wide world.