First lesson: The practice of yoga starts now.
By Debi Buzil
What to do on this beautiful day? A walk by the lake? Sure! Fire up the mobile geocaching app to find some hidden treasure in a nearby park? Let’s do that! Or we can just open the kitchen windows and try out that new raw truffle recipe…
This was the gist of the back-and-forth I had one day with my friend Caruna. We wanted to do this and that, but it went nowhere. Then it dawned on us, and in an instant we knew what to do. We pulled out our mats.
Within minutes, we had more than a half dozen children and neighbors doing yoga on the floor with us. You can make yoga happen, anytime, anywhere.
Though our practice was so refreshing and spontaneous, it took some time for me to really internalize this idea of “Right now is always the right time.” The point drove itself home one night when I lay awake in bed. A familiar earworm of a song got into my head: “Let’s start at the very beginning / A very good place to start. / When you read, you begin with A-B-C…”
When you study yoga you begin with the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Book One, the Samadhi Pada, describes enlightenment. The very first sutra says the study of yoga begins now. That sutra? Atha yoga anushasanam: “Here, now is the teaching of yoga.”
Aha. The right time to do yoga is now. To sincerely pursue self-realization is a significant step in life, one in which being fully in the moment is given priority. The first word of the Yoga Sutra is atha, which means “now.” We must be prepared to start. Anushasanam means “within the world.” The practice of yoga starts now.
I’ve overlooked and generally skipped this first sutra, thinking it was too simple. The reality is I wasn’t ready for the profound knowledge that “this is it.” But I know yoga is always available for us, and never passes judgement when we practice. If we are weak or tired, we can begin. If we are raring to go, it is there. If our mind is out of focus and we cannot concentrate, we can practice. We can only begin where we are. Here and now.
Conscious hip-hop artist Illuminati Congo’s song, “Let’s Do Yoga” (with a guest appearance from Devi 2000) gives a hip, fun exposition on the practice of “now.” We can boogie and yoke our practice of “union” to our deep-souled dancing selves. Next time a friend visits and you don’t know what to do, consider a bit of practice. Get your yoga on. Now—right now!
Debi Buzil is the leader of Chicago-based Kirtan group Devi 2000. She is a longtime teacher and student, and a mother of two.
No Responses to “Sutra in the City: A Very Good Place to Start”