Patanjali Yoga Sutras 46 to 50
The 46th to 50th sutras of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras talk about finding balance and ease in yoga postures, releasing unnecessary effort, remaining undisturbed by life’s dualities, exploring pranayama, and the various aspects of pranayama practice. These sutras provide guidance on how to deepen our yoga practice and achieve a state of harmony
46. Sthira Sukham Asanam: This sutra emphasizes the importance of finding a balance between stability (sthira) and ease (sukha) in our yoga postures (asanas). It encourages us to maintain a steady and comfortable posture while practicing yoga.
47. Prayatna Shaithilya Ananta Samapattibhyam: This sutra suggests that as we progress in our yoga practice, we should gradually release unnecessary effort (prayatna) and surrender ourselves to the infinite (ananta). By doing so, we can achieve a state of perfection (samapatti) in our asanas.
48. Tatah Dvandva Anabhighatah: Once we have attained the state of balance and ease in our yoga postures, we become less affected by the dualities or opposites (dvandva) that we encounter in life. This sutra teaches us to remain undisturbed by the ups and downs, the highs and lows, and the challenges we face.
49. Tasmin Sati Svasa Prasvasayor Gati Vicchedah Pranayamah: When we have established a steady and comfortable posture, we can begin to explore the practice of pranayama, which is the control and regulation of breath and life force. This sutra suggests that through conscious control of the breath, we can influence and harmonize the flow of prana (life force) within us.
50. Bahya Abhyantara Stambha Vrittih Desha Kala Sankhyabhih Paridrsto Dira Ghatah: This sutra describes the various aspects of pranayama practice. It includes external (bahya) and internal (abhyantara) breath retention, the space between inhalation and exhalation (stambha), the duration of breath retention (vrittih), the location of the breath in the body (desha), the time of breath retention (kala), and the counting or repetition of breaths (sankhyabhih). By exploring and understanding these aspects, we can deepen our pranayama practice.