Yoga Is the Stilling of the Mind
Yoga is the stilling of the ceaseless waves that rise in the mind.
Am I swept along by the mind's waves, or can I watch them quietly settle?
📝Reflection
The Yoga Sutras stake everything on this one line. The word yoga comes from the root yuj, "to yoke or join," yet what Patañjali actually names is not addition but subtraction — nirodha, the settling of the waves. Citta is the surface of the mind where thoughts, feelings, and memories ripple without rest, and vṛtti are the waves upon it. Only when the waves subside does the bottom become visible. What we truly learn on the yoga mat is not the posture but how to watch these waves grow still.
🌱Apply It Today
When your mind churns today, do not fight the thought — just note 'a wave is rising now' and watch it for three seconds.
This verse is read as universal humanistic wisdom, not religion — no faith is promoted, and the reflection is 100% original ONGO content.
