Good Decision Making

 Hello again from Mysore, India,

Last week I shared with you my early morning routine in India, and a core practice video.

Well, after I finish my asana practice I have breakfast; ginger lemon tea, fruit salad, and idly (India light and fluffy patty made of rice and lentil fermented batter that is then steamed and served on a banana leaf with sambar and coconut chutney, Yum!)

When my stomach is almost full and my pitta (fiery self) calmed, I go to study a few hours of philosophy with Dr. Nagaraj. He is sitting in the room at least half an hour early, in case someone has questions. I arrive early to just sit there, as stillness is easier when in that room near him.

Dr. Nagarj is of medium built, golden brown skin with big penetrating eyes. He has a rich mustache with some white hairs contrasting the dark brown. His scalp is mostly showing, with some thin hair still showing his original colors. He always wears white – a white longhi wrapped around his slim waist and a white long shirt on top, buttoned up till close to his neck.

Understanding mind activity

We study the classic yoga text, sutra by sutra (aphorism, or thread, or a line of text), understanding its meaning and its practical usage in practice. 

Dr. Nagaraj is probably famous amongst his clients as he was a naturopathic doctor, but not world-wide known. He actually has never been on an airplane and does not seek to be on one. People are people, he says. His journeys are inwards, into the deeper layers of consciousness. It is a big journey already.

In the yoga sutras, Patanjali says that yoga is the stilling of the activities of the mind. (1.2) The activities of the mind are divided in to two types – complicating ones (klishta) and non-complicating ones (aklishta). (Part of 1.5)

Klishta and aklistha can also be understood as mind activities that color, or change perception or reality versus non-coloring ones. In a way, the mind activities that are not complicating are also ones that lead to no pain and are useful and beneficial for our spiritual practices. This is in contrast with other mind activities that will lead to pain and are not useful and beneficial for our spiritual practice.

So how is good decision-making done?

Well, going back to Dr. Nagaraj, getting on an airplane to see more of the world is a klistha (not beneficial) for him. This travel is not useful for his spiritual practice. The travel planning, cost and hassle may add pain or complications to his mind as will all the new information that does not serve his spiritual needs. This is why he stays put, and focuses on activities such as meditation, pranayama and spiritual study. Good decision making for him is always leading to aklishta.

Every mind process may be beneficial or not for the spiritual practice. Every action leads to a possible mind process, and thus for the yogi, any good decision-making is according to the possible result of it – is it helpful for the spiritual practice or not.

For those of you that want to take on yoga as spiritual practice, consider your actions (including thoughts and speech).

Living life this way guarantees less suffering. Practicing this awareness of good decision making, is a good recipe for a sustainable healthy mind, with far less regrets.

Again here are some of the variations to understand klishta and aklishta (taken from Swamiji’s site, one of the best sites for yoga sutra study)

• Klishta – aklishta
• Painful — not painful
• Not useful — useful
• Afflicted — not afflicted
• Impure — pure
• Troubled — not troubled
• Negative — positive
• Vice — virtue
• Away from enlightenment — towards enlightenment
• Resulting in bondage — resulting in freedom

Making good decisions helps your mind stay on the path to happiness and self-realization. The more you are aware of your decisions and act from a place of wisdom rather than habitual patterns, the more you can uncondition your mind and begin to experience deeper levels of consciousness.

Share the Simplicity

If you enjoyed reading this article, leave us a comment below. How do you make good decisions? Share this article with a friend who makes good decisions, see if they agree with what is written here, let’s discuss!

Thank you for reading! Please join us for a yoga retreat or yoga teacher training at Doron Yoga & Zen Center in beautiful Guatemala.

To learn more about yogic philosophy and how you can apply it in your day to day life, read the Doron Yoga Manual.

Blissful Living,

Doron