Sutra 1.21 & 1.22: Intensity

Sutra 1.21: tīvra-saṁvegānām-āsannaḥ ॥21॥

Those who intensely desire samadhi will reach it more quickly than those who don’t

Sutra 1.22: mṛdu-madhya-adhimātratvāt-tato’pi viśeṣaḥ ॥22॥

There are three levels of intensity

In sutra 1.21 & 1.22 Patanjali takes us on an exploration of intensity and how it is like a water slide to samadhi or more simply put, inner peace.

I find it comical that we are supposed to re-nounce all desires, and at the same time, we must have a strong, dense, and committed desire to attain liberation. However, it does make sense that to attain anything worthwhile, we have must first want it. If you kinda sorta want to do those yoga moves and maybe see what all that inner peace stuff is about, that will be your result, a kinda sorta mediocre ability to sometimes feel some ease and and maybe a little less nonsensical inner narrative that never stops narrating. It is only when we are so intensely sick and tired of being so intensely sick and tired, of feeling like our minds are out of control, and like we know so deeply there is more to this life than what we are currently living, that the possibility of living a pure, deeply connected, centered, and liberated existence presents itself to us.

The level of intensity to which you commit yourself to the possibility of this kind of presence, will be the speed of which you receive it. Intensity must be examined so that we can hone and power it properly. Intensity is not a one ingredient pie, however one ingredient is always necessary and that is sincerity. That is why there are so many paths to peace, it really doesn’t matter which path you take, it doesn’t matter if you asana or if you surf, or if you skip rocks, it doesn’t matter if you talk to Krishna, Jesus or the moon, it doesn’t matter if you read the bible, the sutras, or Chicken Soup for the Soul, it does’t matter if you om, amen, or yodel. What does matter is the sincerity, frequency, and commitment with which you do so. This is where pedaling prescribed prayers, scripted apologies, and taking someone else’s vows, fails to be a pathway to peace, it is void of sincerity and therefore powers nothing but a not good enough mentality that by design breeds fear, doubt, and delusion.

There is no game to win or competition to compete, this is not about doing spirituality better than your neighbor, your co-worker, or your high school adversary, this is about the commitment to showing up to your own life, because only you can, and living each moment with the intensity of knowing it could be your last, because it could.

Muchas Gracias Sisters and Brothers,

I’m so grateful for your interest in the yoga sutras. Know that my understanding is limited and I do my best to offer an interpretation that will be of service to you you at this time in the world. May your heart know peace today and every day.

Blessings,

Andrea Dawn