1.29 Awareness turns inward

1.29 Awareness turns inward, and all disturbances are removed.

As a reminder of the practical nature of this endeavor, in this sutra Patañjali indicates the effects of the practice introduced in the previous sutras. This is the completion of the section on the alternative path that started in verse 1.23, relinquishing the illusion of control. Now you know this path of humility, how to practice it and this sutra helps you verify that the practice is working. Cultivating humility is a process leading you from outer focus toward inward attention. It often happens that an attitude of seeing the world as a place of competition and hostility leads a person to react with increased internal agitation. Recognizing one’s limitations can be conducive to seeing the need to connect to others and to create harmony with the world around us. Chanting OM is an invitation to turn inward and to using your own voice as a source of vibration for dissolving the misperceptions that cloud your understanding. As a result, you recognize your underlying nature, the radiance of your heart filled with kindness, compassion and unconditional love; and the brightness of your mind able to perceive clearly whatever is happening. Then, all disturbances are removed because you recognize and honor that every moment is the prefect result of whatever caused it. Please remember, this sutra is not asking you to withdraw from intelligent action or to become complacent. Notice how this verse echoes the message in sutras 1.3 and 1.4.
It is useful to remember that yoga practice is a gradual journey so the progress may, at some points, seem slow. If you recognize that you are not separate from life, and that, in fact, you are life embodied and that you are deeply embedded in the all-encompassing wholeness of the Universe, does your perspective change? Do the temporary comings and goings of your ways of being decrease? Are the distractions decreased? Does anything change in your internal environment? Can it be true that chanting OM helps to open your receptivity to insight and intuition? Does it seem that you can listen better to the silent whisper of your heart? Does it feel like you can trust a little bit more those unspoken gentle nudges suggesting movement or action in a direction that feels right, even when your rational mind hesitates? Does chanting influence your worries and ruminations? Also, as it was indicated in sutras 1.21 and 1.22, notice to what extent the results of your practice are influenced by your commitment and intensity.

As usual, one more way of exploring the meaning of this sutra is by chanting it.
You can choose to chant it in its traditional form with some of the words coming together:

1.29 tataḥ pratyakcetanādhigamo’pyantarāyābhavaśca

ततः प्रत्यक्चेतनाधिगमोऽप्यन्तरायाभवश्च

Another option is to chant each word in the sutra individually:

• tataḥ
• pratyak
• cetanā
• adhigamaḥ
• api
• antarāya
• abhāvaḥ
• ca

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