The first word of the ancient Yoga Sutras is atha, which means NOW. In Sanskrit, atha is pronounced ah-tah. In the yogic tradition, atha consists of two of the sacred sounds of ‘a’ and ‘tha’, which are thought to be vibrational keys that unlock our chakras -- the spinning wheels of energetic consciousness we all have within us. When we say, or mindfully chant, atha the sacred language is said to unlock the portals of Truth (our 6th chakra) and our Divine connection (the 7th Crown chakra).
Not only does atha means NOW, it indicates a conscious decision to start something that will be practiced with a deep commitment, over a sustained period of time. Often when translating the word atha it is explained as a term indicating an auspicious, or significantly special, beginning.
Atha could easily be compared to the decision one might make to do something as committedly as deciding to stop drinking alcohol. It doesn’t happen overnight. It takes practice and a daily commitment. The well-known phrase ‘One day at a time’ exemplifies Yoga Sutra 1.1.
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