Sutra 1.31: Four Symptoms

Sutra 1.31: duḥkha-daurmanasya-aṅgamejayatva-śvāsapraśvāsāḥ vikṣepa sahabhuvaḥ

The symptoms we experience as a result of the obstacles: are sadness, mental agitation, tremor of limbs and irregular breathing.

Sutra 1.31 addresses the four symptoms to note as a result of the nine obstacles presented in sutra 1.30. These symptoms or signs include, but are not limited to: a deep sense of sadness or grief, mental misery or distress (which we might label as depression or anxiety), tremors of the body, and irregular breathing.

These symptoms are like last call at the bar, we’ve already been told several times that the bar is closing, yet we spin around on our bar stool, shouting inaudibly to our neighbor who also does not want to go home and face his own stupor while holding out in hopes for just one more drink.

More often than not, it takes a feeling of hopelessness to overwhelm me and perhaps a week of uncontrollable tears to realize that I am battling an obstacle or issue that I conveniently ignored for weeks, months, or maybe even years. These undeniable physical symptoms are equivalent to drowning. When we can’t breathe, when air feels scarce and unavailable, yoga is our life vest. This life vest is gifted to us so that we have a moment to float. We can stop helplessly thrashing about and be held by the great unknown for just a moment. Here we have the opportunity to reflect on the part we play in keeping up our own misery. We can employ the “go-go gadget zoom out perspective” to recognize how we have the power to stop replaying the same old patterns, and re-set ourselves by changing our habitual re-actions into conscious responses.

This life jacket is our yoga, so when we discard it for a week, or two, we end up face-planting at the bar or like buried treasure on the bottom of the ocean. So next time you face the above stated physical symptoms, just remember that they are really the last call for clarity so that we can serve ourselves unlimited refills from the pitcher of blessings that pour out of the yoga tap.

Gracias gorgeous humans,

As always, I am beyond honored that you have taken the time to engage with me and with the yoga sutras. The sutras provide us with a “life jacket” of sorts so that we can be held accountable to our own growth and peace. By committing ourselves to this study we cannot ignore the ways in which we may be contributing to our own suffering and yoga gives us some offerings of how we can find clarity and also how we can relieve ourselves with helpful tools and practices if we commit to them….a little goes a long way.

So much love,

Andrea Dawn