Citta Vritti

What is "Citta Vritti" (pronounced C is pronounce "ch")?

We had a huge debate about what that was last night in yoga.  They are sanskrit words that translate to "Mind stuff" .  In one of the important books that we will be reading is "Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, The 8 Limbs of Yoga".  In this Sutra, or thread, he says that basically yoga occurs when there is a stillness.

Which brought up all sorts of reactions.  On of them actually stemming of to are we born with the citta already?  Or is it the stuff that happens to us throughout our life?  Most of us concurred that it can be both.  Kind of like a nature/nurture thing.  We are born with some interesting predispositions that are actually contained inside our genes, or DNA.  But we are also impacted from the time we are born with our environment.

Sound about right doesn't it?  But then we all continued to think, but aren't we born pure? And where doesn't one's idea bout reincarnation come from?  And what about all that??

And whether you actually believe in reincarnation, or one life, or whatever, or that an infant is the purist personification of life, it was the most amazing conversation that ended up being about death.  Can you pick when you're going to die, can you actually say you're done with life.  Or, do you just let life takes it's course and have no say in the matter.

All of this was very deep and emotional for a Monday night, let me tell you.  This group has only been together for 3 days, and already the comfort level of people is amazing.  The trust, the openness and the thoughtful and respectful discussions.  I'm truly feeling very lucky to be a part of this group.  I can only imagine that these next Mondays and weekends will truly be come enlightened times.

After Sunday, I was actually an emotional wreck.  I was upset, and agitated.  I was angry and irritable.  It was the strangest sensation to feel all this after I has just spent the weekend meeting people, talking about ideas, and doing lots of yoga.  But it is also well know that this yoga practice does have lots of impact.  It can bring up thoughts to a quiet mind, it can make you feel vulnerable, and it can make you lose track of time.

When I got home I think that is what happened.  I felt like while I was at the studio time kind of stopped, but the rest of the world somehow sped up.  I felt that while I had one of the most fascinating weekends, I was upset.  Luckily, my husband didn't think I was crazy.  He consoled me and supported me.

I feel better today, I feel good about the choice I made to explore this passion.  Especially at this time.  I don't think I could have come to this earlier in my life, although I wonder why I didn't.

Sutra 1.1
Atha yoganusanam
"Now the existence of yoga"