Workshop On The Yoga Sutras

Mudakarattamodakam sada vidmutisadhakam

Kaladharavatamsakam vilasilokaraksakam

Anayakaikanayakam vinasitebhadaityakam

Natasubhasunasakam namami tam vinayakam

This is the first verse of the "Sri Mahaganesapancaratnastotram" that we chanted during the workshop "Chanting And Philosophy" with Dr. M.A. Jayashree and her brother Sri Narasimhan from Mysore, India. The workshop was hosted by Yoga Shala Göteborg. Thankyou Olle & Lisa for hosting the worksop, and thankyou Helen for hosting me!

At first it was really difficult to follow! The words are sooo long! But the Sri Narasimhan said that we Europeans are so used to reading the whole words before we pronounce it. That is an impossible task with sanskrit! So instead, I started reading syllable by syllable, and then it became so much easier to follow. Also, chanting is an oral tradition, srauta parampara, so the best hing would be to not try to read, but listen and follow.

We were taught that the sutras that come from the Vedas are to be chanted in a precise manner. There are three tones; one low, one middle and one high. The high and the low tones are marked by a horisontal line above or below the syllable. That made it easier. These mantras can alternatively be chanted with only one tone. Other mantras or sutras that do not come from the Vedas can be chanted in any way! That was an explnation to something I have been wondering about. The "Vande Gurunam" is chanted in so many different ways in different places, I´ve been wondering which is correct. So now I know; all are correct ways!

Dr Jayashree was teaching us the chanting (listen to her here) and Sri Narasimhan was teaching us the philosophy. Two very skilled scholars. Unfortunately I only remember a fraction of everything he said, but I do remember a few things: There is only one sutra in the Yoga Sutras that speaks about asanas (out of 196 sutras...): stira sukham asanam. Asanas should be comfortable and steady, alert and light. You should be able to stay in an asana for a long time with stability of posture, breath and mind. If mind breaks, breathing breaks, if breathing breaks, posture breaks. If posture breaks, breathing breaks, if breathing breaks, mind breaks! Interesting! He called it having a happy posture!

He talked about pranayama. 20 min of pranayama a day will shrpen the mind! Yeah! Worth trying! Pranayama actually means restraining the breath. Yama= restraint. In kumbaka you hold the breath, i.e.. you stop breathing. When you stop breathing, everything else stops, even the mind. He likend it to dying. A kind of practice to reduce the fear of death.

I am now somewhat brainwashed; I dream in sanskrit (if I´ve listed to the cd before bedtime) and I read all the Swedish signs in sanskit!

Hugaha from metihi to youtaha!