Audio / Video
Om
jīvamaṇi bhrājat-phaṇa
sahasra-vidhṛta viśvaṁ
bhara maṇḍalāya-anantāya
nāgarājāya namaḥ
~
ābāhu puruṣākāraṁ
śaṅkhacakrāsi dhāriṇam
sahasra śirasaṁ śvetaṁ
praṇamāmi patañjalim
Om
THE OPENING MANTRA
The opening mantra initiates the asana/vinyasa practice in setting the intention of moving through the yoga practice as a journey of Self discovery. This opening mantra begins with a passage from the Krishnamacharya lineage and is offered as a way of sanctifying the mind, body and practice space before asana practice.
The second part of the mantra is from Bhoja Rajamarttanda’s commentary on the Yoga Sutras, and offers gratitude to Sage Patanjali for providing guidance in the teachings of Raja Yoga. This mantra affirms the activity of practice as holistic for the body, mind and soul.
The Closing Mantra
The Opening Mantra
Call & Response Opening Mantra
THE CLOSING MANTRA
The closing mantra comes from the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upanishad. The search for truth is what prompts the deepening of yoga practice. In philosophical terms, truth is defined as that which does not change with the passage of time. To find the answer to the question of what remains constant with the passage of time is the quest for the yogi on the path of Self discovery. This is a journey of insights, a course of becoming established in the realization of pure awareness as the core of being.
The voice, the mind, the heart, that chants this short, profound mantra recognizes that while we exist in the body, we are not being led on a physical journey, but rather a journey of a deepening knowlege of the true Self. We chant this mantra at the end of yoga practice as a reminder that ultimately the knowledge gained in our ;practice does not bring us to somewhere or some place else outside of ourselves. This is not a path of knowing some “thing” separate from us; but rather, it is a living, ever-present knowledge blossoming within the one who seeks peace and freedom.
Om
asato mā sad gamaya
tamaso mā jyotir gamaya
mṛtyor mā amṛtaṁ gamaya
Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
Video Demo of Postures from the Yogastha Sadhana Practice
Sweaty ~ Steady ~ Sattvic
Yoga Sutra Chant
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali chanted with time for a responding chant to learn the Sanskrit,
along with the complete translation of each Sutra in English.
Chapter 1: Samādhi-Pāda
Chapter 2: Sādhana-Pāda
Chapter 3: Vibhūti-Pāda
Chapter 4: Kaivalya-Pāda