The Path of The Yoga Sutras: a practical guide to the core of yoga
written by Nicolai Bachman
Principle 2 - Citta
Heart-Mind Field Consciousness
"The Power of the Universe will come to your assistance, if your heart and mind are in unity."
-Lakota saying, passed down from White Buffalo Calf Woman
Citta: heart-mind; outer and inner psyche, ego and memory, sitting between the ever-changing outside world and the inner light of awareness/unconditional Love. Interacts with external objects and conditioned by our experience
Citta-prasadana: clarifying the heart-mind so external objects accurately and truthfully.
Purusa: inner light of awareness, illuminates the citta
Samskara-s: habitual behavior patterns, opinions, biases, predjudices established from impressions and memories programmed into the citta.
Thoughts
The heart-mind is the center of consciousness.
I understand the citta as a link between external objects and the inner light of awareness.
I will guide my heart-mind field toward clarity and kindness.
Exercises
Think of yourself in broader term, as if you were a citizen of the world instead of limited to your particular local culture. What might you do differently if you were free to act and not bound by conformity?
Think of times when you changed your mind, replacing what you thought before with something completely different. How did this change affect your worldview? Did you make the change instantly, or did you consider it carefully before making it? Did ou make this change as a result of a shift from within or influence from someone or something outside yourself? If someone or something outside yourself convinced you to change your mind, what might that person or thing have to gain by you change of mind?
Which of your habits or behaviors are due to nature (genetic, acting the way your parents acted when they were your age) and which are due to nurture (based on your life experience)?
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