Atha Yoganusasanam

Now begins the Study of Yoga

First let’s bring our attention to the word “Atha” which translates as “now”…. “Now” is a powerful word. Patanjali is telling us that it is always the time for Yoga practice, because it is always “now”.

We can also look at this as a reminder that the present moment is fleeting, and the next moment is always a new start. It is always now. And it is always time for yoga. We begin our practice, each moment, of each day, essentially hitting reset on the prior moment. In this infinite moment of “now”, we find that we are always ready to start.

It is interesting to consider the idea that the Yoga practice is much more of a lifestyle one lives, rather than a list of tasks to be completed or a list of rules to follow. The practice is ongoing, never ending, and therefore Atha Yoganusasanam describes the lifelong yogi journey. Continuously coming back to the present moment, our “now”, and begining again.