The Paths of Pravritti and Nivritti

This Yogi knows yoga and the ancient teaching and makes it clear on how to apply yoga to your life.

The Bijar School of Yoga have released many publications on the practice and philosophy of yoga. This slim volume, Pravritti and Nivritti is perhaps the most urgent.“Vritti” is the circular fluctuations of the mind. Pravritti is the path that is ruled by the senses and nivritti. Pravritti, uncontrolled, leads to the “monkey mind.” Nivritti is the path that leads to transcendence. This is a book of four homilies. The Swamiji repeats many times throughout these homilies that anyone, literally everyone, lives in the world of senses and sensations. What separates the yogis from the householders so to speak is the ability to restrain the vrittis, to not, for example, carry grudges, give into desires, anything associated with the material world.The object is not to eliminate the vrittis — this would mean, the Swamiji reminds us — that we are dead to the world. The goal is to manage them, control them so they cease controlling us.As the Swamiji says, even the holiest of yogis must live in and deal with the world. The Swamiji offers specific practices to control and over-master the vrittis, simple, relatively easy to maintain practices to bring ones life in order.Th world is a crazy place and getting crazier. How can an average person achieve any semblance of enlightenment or spiritual fulfillment in this place? The Swamiji offers advice, practices, and insights in these homilies to further that goal.Highly recommended!

This book is a perfect presentation on the Satsang conducted by Swamiji on the said topic.Its the most clear and precise text on the subject.