atha yogãnushãsanam /1/
yogashcittavrttinirodah /2/
Now begins the exposition on Yoga /1/
Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the Mind /2/
The first word "atha" should give one pause. Atha denotes a continuation, not an ex nihilo beginning. In other words, one does not jump into Yoga as he or she must be ready for it, mentally and physically. It is not merely something to pick up on a Sunday afternoon because you have nothing better to do, or you want to loose weight, or be seen carrying around a rolled-up yoga mat under your oxter (fancy Joyce word for armpit). Yoga is not a cure, it is a continued practice, a philosophy, a journey of a spiritual, physical, and mental discipline. Only after such preparation can Yoga begin to be a part of one's life.
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