05/01/2021
🥳 Yoga Sutra 1.1 🙏 🙏The first word of the ancient Yoga Sutras is atha, which means NOW.
In Sanskrit, Atha is pronounced ah-tah. In the yogic tradition, atha consists of two of the sacred sounds of ‘a’ and ‘tha’, which are thought to be vibrational keys that unlock our chakras -- the spinning wheels of energetic consciousness we all have within us.
When we say, or mindfully chant, Atha the sacred language is said to unlock the portals of Truth (our 6th chakra) and our Divine connection (the 7th Crown chakra).
Not only does Atha means NOW, it indicates a conscious decision to start something that will be practiced with a deep commitment, over a sustained period of time. Often when translating the word Atha it is explained as a term indicating an auspicious, or significantly special, beginning.
Atha could easily be compared to the decision one might make to do something as committedly as deciding to stop drinking alcohol, give up old stories that no longer serve, or simply decide to stop procrastinating and moving forward into your true destiny!
It doesn’t happen overnight. It takes practice and a daily commitment. The well-known phrase ‘One day at a time’ exemplifies Yoga Sutra 1.1.
. Welcome to 108++ days of study! The number 108 captures the spiritualessence of the auspiciousness in the universe, it clings our souls together on the path of spiritual growth and is found spread throughout numerousreligions, cultures, practices and more.
In yoga, the number 108 refers to spiritual completion. It is why japa malas are composed of 108 beads, why pranayama is often completed in cycles of 108, and why sun salutations are often performed in nine rounds of the 12 postures (totaling 108).
One of the best explanations to why we choose the number 108 is that the chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and it is said there are a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is said to be the path to Self-realization.
You decide what your Atha is! ❤️ My commitment is to post for at least 108 days of Serious Stuff about the Yoga Sutras for my fellow Seekers!
