On the Saturday of Uday’s December workshops, we held a puja to breathe life into the statue of Patanjali that Jess bought for us in Pune earlier in the year. For some who came, it was their first experience of a puja.
Many thanks to Uday, Chaitanya and Andrea for creating such a beautiful atmosphere and guiding us through the ceremony.
What is a Puja?
Essentially it’s a ceremony of respect or adoration. We held it to breathe life into the statue of Patanjali which has recently come to Yogawest from Pune in India. A puja is a beautiful ceremony using ancient Hindu traditions and is a wonderful way of experiencing the more spiritual side of yoga.
Who is Patanjali?
Often called the “father of yoga,” Patanjali was an Indian doctor and sage living around 2000 years ago who systemised his thoughts and knowledge of yoga in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. In this work, Patanjali compiled 196 sutras that are a blueprint for living a better life. The heart of Patanjali’s teachings is the eightfold path of yoga. It is also called the eight limbs of Patanjali, because they intertwine like the branches of a tree in the forest. These are Patanjali’s suggestions for living a better life through yoga and we still base our practice on his teachings today.
