Rooted Sangha: The Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 2 | Verse 59 - The Practice of Settling
- sjholisticyoga
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
This week in sangha, we continue our discussion of The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living by Eknath Easwaran. Each week, I will do my best to summarise the parts of the book we discuss. Please refer to https://www.sjholisticyoga.co.uk/post/what-is-the-bhagavad-gita if you need a grounding in what The Bhagavad Gita itself is.
I cross-reference with other versions of the Bhagavad Gita, so sometimes the translations differ from Easwaran's.
The Restless Dog
SRI KRISHNA
59. Though aspirants abstain from sense pleasures, they will still crave for them. These
cravings all disappear when they see the Lord of Love.
There is something deeply human and reassuring about this verse. Krishna is not pretending that the mind suddenly becomes peaceful simply because we decide to practise yoga or live more consciously. He acknowledges that even when we step away from things that overstimulate or distract us, the longing for them may still remain.
Anyone who has tried to slow down will recognise this experience. You sit down to meditate or rest and suddenly feel the urge to check your phone, make plans, think ahead, replay conversations, snack, move, or do something productive. The body may become still while the mind continues circling.
The yoga tradition does not treat this as failure. It treats it as part of being human.
One metaphor sometimes used for the mind is that of a restless dog.
Before lying down, a dog circles repeatedly. It checks its surroundings. It remains alert. It listens for sounds. Eventually, after enough circling, it settles. Many of us live like this internally. The mind is constantly scanning for what is next, what might go wrong, or what might finally bring satisfaction.
Modern life encourages this restlessness. We are surrounded by stimulation, noise, urgency, comparison, and constant access to information. The nervous system rarely receives the message that it is safe enough to fully settle. Even our moments of rest are often filled with distraction.
Because of this, many people approach yoga or spirituality as another form of self-improvement. We try to force ourselves into calmness. We become frustrated with distractions and judge ourselves for not being more disciplined, focused, or peaceful. But this verse points towards something much gentler and wiser.
Krishna says that cravings do not disappear simply because we suppress them. They soften naturally when we experience something deeper and more nourishing. In the language of the Gita, this is described as “seeing the Lord of Love”. Traditionally, this points towards direct experience of the Divine. But it can also be understood more broadly as moments of genuine connection, presence, peace, or wholeness.
Most people have experienced moments like this. Sitting quietly beside the sea. Walking in nature. Holding someone they love. Being fully immersed in music, prayer, meditation, creativity, or silence. In those moments, the constant grasping of the mind often falls away on its own. Not because we forced it to, but because something deeper briefly replaced the need to keep searching elsewhere.
This is why yoga is not simply about restraint or control. It is about creating the conditions in which the mind and nervous system can gradually begin to settle. Like sediment suspended in water, clarity cannot be forced. If a jar of muddy water is constantly shaken, it remains cloudy. We do not make the water clear by demanding stillness from it. We simply place the jar down gently and allow the sediment to settle naturally over time. Perhaps the mind works much the same way.
This week in our asana practice, we have been exploring the theme "The Practice of Settling" through mandala flows and yin yoga. Rather than trying to eliminate thought or achieve perfect stillness, we simply noticed the movements of the mind with compassion.
Beneath all movement, there is already a steadiness within us waiting to be remembered.
A reflection for practice and daily life
What do I reach for when I become uncomfortable, restless, lonely, or overwhelmed?
Are the things I consume genuinely nourishing me, or simply distracting me?
What does my mind do when there is space and silence? Does this feel like a place of safety and peace? Or does it feel like something I want to escape from?
What helps my nervous system feel safe enough to settle?
What supports clarity in my life? What clouds it?
Giving Back
After covering room and fuel costs, all proceeds from Rooted are being saved to support a local cause, to be chosen together later this year - as a small act of Bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion in action.
On 21st September, we made our first donation (£110) to Kettering Samaritans.
On 23rd December, we donated £100 to Johnny's Happy Place, a wonderful mental health support cafe in Kettering.
On 9th April, we donated £100 to The Green Patch in Kettering.
Our next beneficiary is Home-Start Wellingborough & District. We have £55 in the pot!
Going Forward
Next week, we are taking a week off. But when we come back together, we will continue Chapter 2. If you would like to join us in person, do get in touch or book online. It is never too late to join in, even if this is completely brand new to you.
If you would like to buy the book, click the image below to see your options.
Please Note:
My thoughts draw on teachings from the Bhagavad Gita, and other sacred texts within Hindu philosophy. I share my reflections as a yoga practitioner and teacher, and as a student of Vedanta - not as a scholar or religious authority. My intention is to gently explore how these teachings can be lived and contemplated within contemporary practice, and always with the utmost respect for their cultural and spiritual roots.
Om Shanti.
Vicki x
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