YOGASH CHITTA VRITTI NIRODHAH
YOGASH = yoga
CHITTA VRITTI = modifications of the mind-stuff
NIRODHAH = restraint
When I was little, my mom told me that I should be a therapist because I was so good at psychoanalyzing people. Sometimes, that comes in handy, but at other times, it only serves as a distraction.
So what are chitta vrittis for the college yogi? Visualize yourself in yoga class or sitting in the library trying to crank out a paper. Your mind goes to: "Is last night’s hookup going to text me?" "Should I not have given out my number?" "What is wrong with me?" "Oh no, I made a mistake!" Or, "I have so much to do in so little time. I have this paper, that paper, and that problem set, and that writeup and how am I going to do it all at once? What did I get myself into?" Or, "What’s for dinner? I hate the new dining hall. Who am I going to go with?" "Is the vegan option going to be good enough?"
Does any of this sound familiar?
These are all aspects of chitta vrittis, otherwise known as the fluctuations of the mind. These various questions and analyses we pose to ourselves on a daily basis share some commonalities: they project into either the future or the past, and they are entirely unnecessary in the present. They are distractions. They modify what is going on in the moment so it makes it more difficult to focus. In many ways, they are jailers - they bind us to thoughts that are not facts. Now, we’re human so we get them all the time. I know I do and a huge reason why I now do yoga is to quiet that chitta and to simply observe them. That last part of the sutra, nirodhah - restraint - allows me to be gentle when I see the chitta pass by. The way I interpret it is that I restrain myself from judging these modifications and acting on them inappropriately.
In his translation of this sutra, Sri Swami Satchidananda says, “All the differences in the outside world are the outcome of your mental modifications.” You cannot change the outside world when the inner worlds are blocked. The inner worlds are made up of the selves that make up the outer world. To change the self is the only way to create real change. Reading this sutra offers up a whole new interpretation to Gandhi’s famous quote (and line in MC Yogi’s song), "be the change that you want to see.”
Satchidananda also says, “Yoga does not bother much about changing the outside world...bondage and liberation are in your own mind. If you feel bound, you are bound. If you feel liberated, you are liberated. Things outside neither bind nor liberate you; only your attitude towards them does that.” Talk about a way to take us out of self-victimization, to hold us accountable for our actions through our thoughts, through relabeling them. Pretty mind-blowing, no?
A bit about our Author, Camille Brown: Hi there and welcome to my segment, The Daily Om. I'm a twenty-something lover of health, fitness, yoga, personal style, reiki, nature, travelling, and capturing those special moments in life that matter the most. My daily goal is to be the best I can, give all I know about yoga, holistic living, and just living your most authentic natural life. I will offer challenging asanas that will push your personal limits in order to achieve success on the mat and offer insight mantras to get your day started your day on a positive note. Remember, "A day without laughing is a day wasted."
Read more from her at http://lotusflowerwellness.blogspot.com/
Read more from her at http://lotusflowerwellness.blogspot.com/
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