Rina Jakubowicz > Quotes

“There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it ill behooves any of us to find fault with the rest of us. —James Truslow Adams”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“Dharana requires a higher degree of understanding to get into deep concentration. Pratyahara, the previous limb, is meant to cut away external distractions and desires. Concentration means your intellect (see here) is strong enough to keep your mind (see here) fixed on one object or thought. The way to achieve this is to negate everything worldly by saying “not this,” or “neti” in Sanskrit. The process of negation helps us understand that we have to go beyond the pairs of opposites in this world. It’s neither good nor bad, hot nor cold, short nor tall, day nor night, etc. What this provides is a real perspective of the absolute truth. Continually keeping this consciousness and strong intellect active eventually takes you to the next limb: Dhyana.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“The more desires you have, the stronger your mind—meaning the further away you are from your true Self (see here). This creates a more challenging and agitated life.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“MEANING Pratipaksha bhavana is the ability to see things from a different point of view by understanding a higher absolute truth—flipping the mental switch.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“the chakras and studying the practice of yoga. It comes full circle.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“You have a body so you can act. Your actions depend on the quality of your mind and intellect: Act selfishly, you suffer; act selflessly, you’re free. The choice is always yours.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“Pranayama BREATHING TECHNIQUES MEANING Pranayama, the fourth limb of Raja Yoga, is the practice of using breathing techniques to control and extend the life energy in the body. Inhale, exhale! SIGNIFICANCE Prana means “life force energy.” Breath gives us this life. We restore our energy to heal the body, preparing it for deeper paths.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“MEANING Samadhi is the eighth and final limb of Raja Yoga, where one gets absorbed in the nondualistic and highest state of consciousness. Enlightenment, baby! SIGNIFICANCE Samadhi happens automatically when one has been fully purified by the wisdom gained; it’s synonymous with the true essence of Yoga (see here).”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“Yoga isn’t about standing on your head. It’s about getting your head out of your ass. —Eric Paskel”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“the ultimate goal of yoga philosophy: Self-Realization.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“Each pose tends to have a specific drishti point associated with that pose. When in doubt, your default drishti point is a few feet beyond the tip of your nose diagonally downward.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“Samadhi, the final stage of the Eight-Limbed Path, is equivalent to Enlightenment, thus requiring the practitioner to have no more desires or delusions of the Self. Your single-pointed focus, Dhyana (see here), to reach Enlightenment has paid off. The practice of Dharana (see here) led you to Dhyana, which led you to Samadhi.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“Yogas citta vritti nirodhah,” meaning, “Yoga is the cessation of the modifications of the mind-stuff.” It explains that once you control your mind and stop it from fluctuating with desires and emotions, you will experience Yoga.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“Ishvara Pranidhana SURRENDER TO BRAHMAN MEANING Ishvara pranidhana, the last of the niyamas, is described as surrendering to Ishvara, another name for Brahman or the Self (see here). SIGNIFICANCE Yoga can be found when you have humility; thus the ability to surrender to the higher from a place of knowledge is vital for your spiritual growth.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“The third equipment humans have is the intellect, or buddhi. It is the ability to think objectively and rationally.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali is the main text from Raja Yoga—the Eight-Limbed Path that provides guidelines for daily living. Consider it the abridged version of Yoga philosophy!”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“Tapas SELF-DISCIPLINE MEANING Tapas, the third niyama (healthy guideline), refers to the ability to practice self-discipline—something most of us lack! SIGNIFICANCE Tapas requires the use of our intellect (see here) to stay on course. It’s easy to fall prey to distractions.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“Choose a daily habitual action, like taking a shower or cooking a meal. While performing the action, see what happens within when you repeat: “I am not the body. I am the Self. I am not the mind. I am the Self. I am not the intellect. I am the Self.” At first, it may be easier to repeat it verbally—to hear your voice saying it. Eventually you can repeat it in your head—even while saying something else, you can mentally repeat it.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“A human being has three “bodies:” the physical body, the subtle body, and the causal body.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“Karma Yoga is the path that helps you purify your body to get closer to realizing your true Self.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“Yoga is translated as “union” and is defined as the science of realizing one’s true Self (see here), leading one to Enlightenment.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“MEANING A mantra is a sound, vibration, or word repeated to focus one’s mind (see here) on one point so as to connect to something higher. SIGNIFICANCE Mantras were originally meant to be chanted in Sanskrit, making them more powerful”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“duality dissolves into nonduality (see here), and one enters into Samadhi (see here).”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“MEANING Sakshi means being a witness, implying we must find objectivity in all areas of our lives. Observe yourself reading this. SIGNIFICANCE The only way to Yoga is to make everything impersonal by becoming a sakshi. This”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“ROOT CHAKRA MEANING Muladhara, the first chakra, is also called the root chakra because it’s located at the base of the spine. Are you rooted? SIGNIFICANCE Chakras are energy centers in the body—each with its healing function to your spiritual”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“prana in the body to facilitate further development in the practice.”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“When the student has been long enough in Dharana (see here) by lessening desires so much that only one remains—the desire to realize your true Self—Dhyana is now possible. Nothing more, nothing less. With your mind fixated on only realizing your true Self, all ego and identification with your three “bodies” ceases. Since you now identify with the Self, you automatically rise into meditation, Dhyana. It’s a permanent state, not a temporary one. You can’t just practice meditation for 15 minutes daily. Those are simple techniques to help your mind be calm, focused, and relaxed. They are great, but don’t get them confused with the true definition of meditation according to the ancient teachings of Yoga. When you’re in true meditation long enough,”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“MEANING Bandhas are energetic body locks created to help the yoga practitioner gain a physical lightness in the body. Sorry, not meant for beginners. SIGNIFICANCE Bandhas are another tool for consciously harnessing, increasing, and directing”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“Yoga isn’t about standing on your head. It’s about getting your head out of your ass. —Eric Paskel PHILOSOPHER AND PSYCHOTHERAPIST”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice

“Pratipaksha bhavana is an instrumental practice in the development of your intellect (see here). Simply put, it’s your ability to change a negative thought to a positive one. It’s easier said than done, because when your mind (see here) takes control, negativity tends to take over and drown out the clear, positive voice. With higher awareness and deeper understanding, you’ll see the negative thoughts coming and you’ll know how to tackle them immediately. Imagine someone gives you red sunglasses. The world will now look red, but it’s only that way because of the lenses on the glasses. Nothing external has turned red, but your perception has changed so you see it as red. The same thing happens when gaining wisdom. You’ll be wearing “wisdom” sunglasses, and you’ll see”
― Rina Jakubowicz, The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice