Yogasūtra II.1 - tapaḥ svādhyāya īśvarapraṇidhānāni kriyāyogaḥ

The Yoga of action is composed of self-discipline, self-enquiry, and an attitude of surrendering [the ego] to the Divine.

The second chapter is for people with a disturbed mind, for whom Samädhi is not easily accessible. This is why it starts with a simple form of Yoga, called Kriyā-yoga, the Yoga of action.

If the practice of Yoga does not help us to remove the symptoms and causes of our physical, psychological and spiritual disturbances, then it cannot lead us to discovering our inner selves. This is why it is essential that the first step is Tapas, a holistic process of self-discipline that will purify our human system of all its toxins. However, under no circumstances should we choose methods such as extreme fasting, inappropriate, narcissistic training, or practices that lack a spiritual grounding. These will only damage the body, not assist it.

The second component is self-enquiry (Svādhyāya). Patañjali reminds us here that we are all different, not only in form, but also in function. We all have different individual capacities and different Dharma-s (purposes of life) to fulfil. Hence, self-enquiry is an essential part of our journey toward liberation. This could involve the study of classical texts from our own tradition, or the recitation of appropriate Mantra-s that reveal our true nature. It also includes mentoring with a competent teacher who acts like a clear mirror to reflect our strengths, weaknesses and inherent potential.

Īśvarapraṇidhāna is the third part of Kriyāyoga, and it is an attitude of surrender to the Divine, for we are not in control of all that happens in our life, including the consequences of our own actions.

Apart from Yoga Teaching, Kausthub is also an avid photographer, inspirational writer and poet. To view, some of his inspirations, visit the website www.kausthubdesikachar.com