Psychology for Everyone

What does Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.2 mean for the mind?

From the book – Chapter 24: Gita, Ramayana and Hindu Traditions on the Mind

Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.2

योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः ॥

yogas citta-vrtti-nirodhah ||

Meaning

Yoga is the stilling of the turnings of the mind-stuff.

For daily life

the mind is filled with vrittis —a constant, spinning whirlpool of thought patterns, sudden emotions, perceptions, and memories. When this whirlpool spins out of control, we experience severe anxiety, endless rumination, and stress. The ultimate goal of yoga (and modern psychological mindfulness) is nirodhah : the intentional stilling of these restless fluctuations. However, there is a crucial clinical distinction. Stilling the mind means patiently training your attention so that the whirlpool slows down, and you can see reality clearly. It does not mean completely erasing your thoughts, harshly suppressing your emotions, or becoming numb to your own life.

Read the full chapter – Chapter 24: Gita, Ramayana and Hindu Traditions on the Mind

Stories from real life

  • Arjuna in the Exam Hall – Rohan Deshmukh, nineteen, from Pune, was preparing for a competitive engineering exam. His family had spent years and savings on coaching. A week before the exam,…
  • Dasharatha’s Grief, Rama’s Steadiness – When Gopal Iyengar, seventy-three, of Thanjavur lost his wife of fifty years, he stopped speaking at meals. His son Venkat found him staring at her chair,…
  • Sita’s Courage and the Gentle Choice – Anjali Sharma, thirty-one, from Varanasi, left a harmful marriage after years of cruelty. She was physically safe now, living with her parents, but her body did…
  • The Restless Mind of Mohan – Mohan Pillai, forty, a shopkeeper in Kozhikode, found his mind jumping like a monkey. He replayed an old quarrel with his brother, feared losing his business,…

More on this topic: Bhagavad Gita, yoga and Indian wisdom for mental peace

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