In its authentic teaching, however, the yoga asana (physical poses) is only a step to prepare you for a deeper spiritual practice that requires stillness in the body as well as the mind: The meditation.
The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, a foundational text dating back to 500 BCE that has influenced the philosophy and practice of today's yoga, expounds this clearly in its 196 aphorisms.
In the second verse of the book's first of four chapters, Patanjali sums up yoga succinctly as the ability to still the mind, or direct its focus toward an object and sustain that direction without any distraction (yogasgcittavrittinirodhah).
We will someday discuss this inspiring text at greater length, but for now let us focus on the idea of meditating. (More)
Source: Jakarta Post
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