Breathe, Just Breathe...(Yoga Sutras 2.49-55)

In our last episode, we found out the unsettling, though grounded truth that ãsana according to Patañjali does not hold much sway in the overall picture of Yoga, and is certainly not the same sort of physical gymnastics that dominates the shalas of today. However, it is nonetheless highly significant as it is still an important means, though not the ends, for achieving Samãdhi. Without the proper foundation with ãsana, one could not move on to the fourth limb of Yoga, which is Prãnãyãma, or yogic breath control.

Although there is the tendency these days to say that the 8 limbs of Yoga, or the ashtanga of Patañjali, can be taken in any order, that is not entirely true either. They may not be literally one step after another, but there are verbal clues along the way as we shall see (and have seen), that do key us into the fact that we do need to have some things under control before moving on to the next, as we see with Prãnãyãma.

Having said that, and we will return to it, I do contend that Yamas and Ni-Yamas are to be practiced continuously for one simple reason...we are human, and humans are prone to being...well, human, and as the saying goes: to err is human... And, this is precisely why the Yoga Sutras are just that, human. At several times along the way, Patañjali says that we WILL falter and we WILL have obstacles and so forth. But, instead of staying down, we are to get back up and try it again, for a long period of time, with a diligent practice, namely abhyãsa, and Book II has been all about building our practice. Now that we are closing in on the final limbs of the 8-fold path, it bears repeating that these are not to be considered one-and-done events.

Just because we may be successful at one time in being filled with ahimsã or satya or asteya, does not mean that we shall ALWAYS be in such a state of being. In other words, it takes time. It takes effort. It takes patience. It takes being willing to fail and try again. It takes diligence. It takes reverence. It takes humility. It takes a lot. And, in the world of Veruca Salt where we all "want it now!" that is sometimes a jagged pill to swallow.

And, the modern Yoga world is not always as forgiving as it likes to present itself as you may have noticed. Although there is great talk about "non-judgement" and "universal love" reality in the world of mats and incense is not always so kind. It is quite a familiar experience to come across many a yogi or yogini who espouses some high ideals of this "non-judgement" and "ubiquitous love", but when one slips or falters, as Patañjali says again and again we shall...the judgement is often swift, hypocritical and long-lasting. 

When met with just such attitudes of non-gratitude, which you will, then it is best to remember Luke Skywalker's words again, "Breathe, just breathe..." which is where we are now at with 2.49.

Having left off with the fact that ãsana (a steady, meditative seat) can lead to the release from dualities and opposites, we then read:

Tasmin sati shvãsa-prashvãsayor-gati-vicchedah prãnãyãmah 2.49

When that (effect of ãsana) occurs, there is a distinction of movement in the exhalation and inhalation, called Prãnãyãma.

The tasmin sati is an unmistakeable verbal and grammatical marker that Prãnãyãma comes after the command of ãsana as it is a temporal locative absolute, which means that x happens and then y, and in this case, that means x=ãsana and y=prãnãyãma. 

Again, this is when ãsana is strictly meant to be a meditative seat. In modern practice that is indeed more ãsana-based from the physical sense, we can use breath control to go deeper into a pose, and it becomes symbiotic rather than in stages. But, that is to add a modern interpretation, which is fine, so long as we do not quote Patañjali as saying this is the case. What is in the text is that after ãsana comes prãnãyãma, and as we will see, after prãnãyãma comes pratyãhãra...in successive stages.

[Quick note on the word prãnãyãma as it is a bit interesting. It is actually made up of several components: pra + <<an>> + ã + <<yam>>. Prãna, or life force/breath is pra + <<an>> and the root "an" is what comes into modern languages from Latin as the Soul, namely anima/animus and so forth.]

Moving on to 2.50-51, we see:

Bãhyãbhyantara-stambha-vrittih desha-kãla-samkhyãbhih paridrishto dirgha-suksmah 2.50

Prãnãyãma is manifested by long or short distinctions by time, place and counting and is the movement of the external, internal and restraining [of the breath].

Bãhyãbhyantara-vishaya-ãksepi caturthah 2.51

The fourth [type/mode of Prãnãyãma] refers to the range of the internal and external breath.

Both the text itself and the commentaries do not shed much light on the 4 types of Prãnãyãma, and to make matters more challenging, there is a pervasive mis-translation of ãksepi being "transcending" or "goes beyond", where as it means "referring to" or "hints at" or the like. So, 2.51 seems to be a bit redundant, or it means that the fourth type is about different types of breathing?? Again, this is one of those times that is not very clear in the text and/or commentary. In short, it seems that the breath control or regulation of prãnãyãma then can focus on: time, place (in the body), counts and range of breath. Note to self for a bit more investigation into this...

Then, we have another verbal marker that once x happens, then y can...However, there is one slight problem as we see in 2.52-53:

Tatah kshiyate prakãshãvaranam  2.52

Then/at that time, the concealment of clarity is destroyed.

Dhãranãsu ca yogyatã manasah  2.53

And, the suitability of the mind in acts of fixed concentration.

This seems somewhat straightforward, 

BUT!! Taken together as a single sutra, we get:

Then, the concealment of clarity is destroyed within acts of fixed concentration and the suitability of the mind (arises)!

The "ca" conjunction meaning "and" is tricky here as to what is linked by it. Because it follows dhãranãsu, normally we would then take everything before the "ca" to be 1 and everything afterwards to be 2, hence it makes much more sense to link these two sutras as one, continuous complex sentence. Moreover, the plural locative of dhãrana-->dhãranãsu makes it more logical to say that the concealment of clarity is destroyed by/within ACTS of intense, fixed meditation here. This is reminiscent of Bhagavad Gita 2.50's definition of Yoga as:

tasmād yogāya yujyasva

yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam

Which means: 

Therefore, "yoke" yourself to Yoga, as Yoga is skill in ACTIONS. Usually this is translated as "skill in action", but it is clearly, as is here, plural and should be actions, just like above needs to be "acts of dhãrana". 

What this implies is again the caveat that Patañjali gives us again and again, namely...this is not a one-and-done deal. It takes time and multiple actions...Practice and refinement take TIME.

And, what this is also doing is setting us up for the triad of samyama, or dhãrana-dhyãna-samãdhi that we will see in detail in Book III (another dubious division...). 

For now, however, we have one more limb to deal with before moving to that trinity, and that is pratyãhãra, or withdrawal (of the senses). And, we will again see that now-familiar "tatah" marker meaning, then/at this time, signaling one thing happens before the next. 

To wrap up Book II and the first 5 limbs then, we read:

Sva-vishaya-asamprayoge cittasya svarupãnukãra ivendriyãnãm pratyãhãrah  2.54

Pratyãhãra of the senses is like an imitation of the true nature of the mind in the absence of contact with its own sensory objects.

Tatah paramã vashyatendriyãnãm  2.55

Then/at that time, it is/arises the ultimate command/control of the senses.

As with ãsana, then, there is not much to say. In fact, for as much attention the 8 limbs get in the modern-day Yoga world, there is surprisingly few words spent on some of the key concepts. More so, they are just common-sense guidelines that lead to the more esoterica such as Samãdhi and Kaivalyam, to which most of Books III and IV will be devoted.

Before moving onto the nominal section of Book III, though, it is important to pause again and consider that although the Yoga Sutras were written +/- 2,000 years ago, they are still highly applicable to a contemporary Yoga practice, and, moreover, are very pertinent and practical psychological tools that we can use to overcome daily obstacles. However, it then also needs to be reminded that when we do apply the Yoga Sutras to our 21st-century lives and Yoga practice, we do need to take the responsibility to acknowledge what is and what is not in the original Yoga Sutras, especially as teachers! There is a great deal of misinformation, miscommunication and consequently misusage of these powerful words. And, when that happens, and the veil or concealment of clarity is lifted as with the effects of Prãnãyãma, then there can be disillusionment instead of revelation. 

And, with a little bit of common sense, we can avoid that disillusionment and avoid the hypocrisy and judgement that often accompanies it.

So, again, before moving back into the meta-physical, remembering the first 5 anga/limbs, we need to exhale, exhale, exhale....

Inhale...