The Yoga Sutras* offers us so much in the form of wisdom and insight. It’s absolutely mind blowing to me that they were written so many years ago, yet they are still solid, relevant, and a wonderful resource if you are feeling at odds with the world or yourself.

Sutra number 1:20 is magnificent! It explains that by having faith in one’s own resilience, we have the ability to get back up and start again when we get knocked down. It is seen as a cyclical process of our own energy supporting us in moving forward on a unique and individual path of life. Each piece of the sutra speaks deeply and there are many layers to interpreting the information.

What I took away from the sutra is there are three basic elements required to reach well-being: belief in and love for ourself, courage to stay on track with our path, and remembering to come back to our inner conviction at any time. 

This process requires energy which is what I would call optimism. Optimism is such a wonderful kind of energy and is something that can be cultivated. It fuels us and always gives back. So during these bleak times, I encourage you (and myself) to dig deep and find true optimism. Meditate on it, talk about it, feel it in your body. It will always serve you. Then try to access what is your truth and path and be courageous and optimistic in staying the course.

*The Yoga Sutras are a collection of 196 sutras (short verses) compiled and written by the ancient sage Patanjali (maybe one person or maybe a group of people … we don’t know) sometime around 400 CE. The Yoga Sutras have come to be accepted as one of the most important yoga philosophy texts in the world. The 196 sutras serve as a guide and explain what yoga is, why we should do it, how we will benefit from it, and how to practice it.