Suffering is a perennial issue for spirituality and philosophy, whilst its manifestation might change, ancient wisdoms still seem incredibly pertinent today. 2020 has brought the Covid 19 pandemic and in the face of that Britain has locked down. I have been considering what Patanjali might offer us to soothe anxieties and hindrances to our yoga practice and the happy life right now. In Sutras 1.30 – 1.39 Patanjali suggests what the mental agitations that disrupt our efforts toward the state of yoga are, and then presents a rather open list of ways we might combat these psycho-spiritual disturbances.
So, I will apologise to any Sanskrit experts for my poor pronunciation, but I hope the ideas resonate.