"Through my efforts, I gain the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.”~ Anonymous
*Tapas, Svahdhyaya, Isvarapranidhana
effort, self-study, surrender
Kriya yoga is every “cleansing action” that we can actually practice and comprises these elements:
· Tapas: tap means to “blaze, burn, and shine”; conscious ardour to achieve goal; it is austerity and self-discipline; practices such as asana and pranayama that can help us to remove blocks and tensions, in vocal, physical and mental aspects; it keeps the body fit through heat and cleansing; must not cause suffering; Iyengar says, “Life without tapas is like a heart without love.”
· Svadhyaya: sva means “self” and adhyaya means “inquiry” or “examination”; searching, asking questions, looking into ourselves; other translations include the study of texts and repeating mantras; “The person practicing svadhyaya reads his own book of life, at the same time that he writes and revises it.” (Iyengar)
· Isvarapranidhana: action not motivated by outcome; we know we have done our best
“The goal of yoga is to encourage us to be a little better than we were before...by making an effort and by practicing patience. When we do this we will not see ourselves as beset by so many problems. Our efforts may change in intensity, but over a period of time we will gradually experience progress. We must actively seize every opportunity that helps us progress.” ~T.K.V. Desikachar
The Heart of Yoga
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