The Theory Behind Sufi Mindfulness Practices

Sufi Mindfulness Yoga (SMY) uses Sufi practices orchestrated in a mindfulness manner and placed into the framework established in Patajali's Yoga Sutras. The Yoga Sutras consist of a set of 196 short verses, or sutras, separated into four sections, or chapters. Hindus consider this work, recorded by Patanjali over 1600 years ago, to be a sacred text; it forms the basis of many current schools of yoga. The Yoga Sutras provide a theoretical basis for practicing meditation and achieving yoga, a Sanskrit word that means union, and in this context union with the divine.

 

Patanjali states that to achieve the goal of yoga, or union with the devine - a state he calls samadhi, one must cease all of the modifications of the mind. Although Patanjali briefly describes the various types of these mental gyrations one might experience, he gives scant guidance on how one should eradicate any of them, only counseling persistent practice and non-attahcment.

 

The Sufis have a goal of controlling nafs, psyche or mental energy. Sufis consider the nafs the main obstacle from attaining an enduring meaningful relationship, sometimes indicated as a merger, with divine consciousness - a state of mind which many equate to Patanjali's samadhi. Sufis hold this belief without regard to the Yoga Sutras. However, we do know that Sufis have known about Patanjali’s work for hundreds of years. Al-Biruni gets credit for the first known Arabic translation of the Yoga Sutras dating to around 1000 CE. His interpretation of Patanjali’s second sutra translates as “Yoga is control over psychical energies (nafs),” which perhaps better defines yoga than the traditional English translation of “cessation of the modifications of the mind.”

 

Sufi Mindfulness Yoga (SMY) takes the theoretical framework provided by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras and maps a specific Sufi practice to each of the pitfalls outlined in the ancient work. For each variety of mental activity described by Patanjali SMY identifies a specific Sufi practices designed to subdue and/or conquer the offending disturbance. Instead of the traditional application of the Sufi exercise, SMY applies principles from mindfulness traditions to each practice to enhance its effectiveness.

 

In addition to tackling the enigma of how to forestall mental chatter, SMY also lines up dozens more Sufi practices to address a vast variety of issues brought up in the eight-fold path of yoga defined by the Sutras. These include practices aimed at the first two rungs of the yoga ladder - yoga's yamas (restraints such as refraining from violence and telling lies) and yoga's niyamas (observances such as purity and austerity). SMY also puts forth guidance for the higher stages in a yogi's journey that focuses on sense withdrawal and meditation through concentration and contemplation.

 

Each Sufi practice adapted for SMY consists of, in its original form, a Name of Allah. Sufis consider each Name to represent a divine attribute and by understanding a Name through dwelling on its inherent meaning, one can incorporate the specific attribute into their being and become closer to the devine. SMY uses these Names in a prescribed manner, based on my scientific research, to effect emotional balance and mental clarity and overcome the obstacles to samadhi cited by Patanjali. To get a taste for how SMY practices achieve their aims refer to the Practices tab on this website.

 

You can read a much more detailed explanation of the theoretical underpinnings of SMY and its practices in my book: Sufi Mindfulness Yoga.