How do you live your life?

Such a simple question, and the answer means so much.

We had a quiz on the sutras today, and I didn’t have much time to study: Last night I spent ten minutes reviewing class handouts and notes while I ate dinner, this morning I looked up a couple websites while waiting for the bus, and at lunchtime some fellow trainees and I went over the info.

I am so grateful for my brain and its ability to absorb knowledge fairly quickly, if not always for the longterm. But even my spectacular mental powers could not successfully produce all ten of the yamas and niyamas and describe their value in addition to listing the other six limbs of the royal path.

However, I think I came close, and certainly close enough for the purposes of the quiz. I doubt I’ll be penalized for misspelling the Sanskrit, assuming I was even meant to write it. I think the info my teachers want me to know is the content of Patanjali’s ten suggestions for living a healthy, happy life, which I interpret as follows:

DON’Ts: Don’t harm. Don’t lie. Don’t steal. Don’t be careless. Don’t want more than you need.

DOs: Do keep clean. Do be at peace. Do be disciplined. Do get to know yourself. Do aim for awareness.

[“Don’t be careless” is commonly known as “Don’t philander (have sex)” but I think something might be lost in the translation because, as I understand it, the meaning of the Sanskrit word “brahmacarya” is more about paying attention to how and why you indulge the senses, so as to avoid sowing the seeds of suffering. This includes being chaste, but more generally means being careful and aware of your actions.]

I’ve mentioned before that yoga is a way of life but it’s only recently I’ve decided to live it. Cramming for today’s quiz furthered my resolve from last week’s lecture: There’s really something to this stuff, and I want to study it more.