This week on My Daily Thread, we’ve been deep in the world of relationships, inspired by the wisdom of Yoga Sūtra 2.20. This pivotal sutra introduces the idea that the Seer—the dṛṣṭā, or pure consciousness—can only see the world through the lens of the mind, shaped by impressions, thoughts, and conditioning.
dṛṣṭā dṛśi-mātraḥ śuddho 'pi pratyayānupaśyaḥ
“The Seer is pure seeing; although pure, it appears to see through the lens of the mental impressions.”
On day one, we asked the foundational question, “How are you showing up in your relationships?” We linked this to the need for the Observer Pause—to take a breath, soften the body, and resist the urge to react automatically. This is the first step in Viveka, or discernment, which yoga trains us to cultivate.
On day two, we followed with: “Is this coming from clarity or conditioning?” Here, we brought attention to the kleśas, the mental afflictions that often dictate our actions: fear, attachment, aversion. Pausing to observe whether our words or behaviors arise from the quiet clarity of the Self, or from the turbulence of mental patterns, is the heart of yoga in action.
On day three, we went even deeper: “Is this really, really, really about them?” Or is this another story—one of the citta vṛttis, the fluctuations of the mind—that chirping mind of ours? This ties directly to Yoga Sūtra 1.2:
yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ
“Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind.”
These vṛttis—mental whirlpools of past conditioning, trauma, beliefs—are the stories we live inside until we pause and recognize them for what they are. Today, we add a fourth insight to our relationship week: finding the stillness and listening.
Yes, listening. Not just with our ears but with our whole presence. Like the Austin Powers movie line—when Dr. Evil tells his son, “Zip it. www.zip it... Zip it!”—sometimes we need to say precisely that to ourselves. Zip it. Don’t interrupt. Don’t finish their sentence. Don’t rush to fix or solve, or jump in.
Authentic listening begins in stillness. It is born of pure awareness—not the noisy mind, agenda-driven ego, or the silent capital S-Self waiting patiently in the background. As Viktor Frankl so powerfully said, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.” That space is cultivated through presence, through abhyāsa (practice), and through vairāgya (non-attachment).
We have one mouth and two ears—so perhaps we’re meant to listen twice as much as we speak. And when we listen from that deeper place, we connect with others not just with our words, but with our presence. That’s what builds secure connection, which, as we’ve seen, is vital to our overall health and well-being.
So today’s invitation is simple and profound: Find that deep magical place of stillness within. Practice śravaṇa—deep listening. Don’t prepare your reply. Don’t mentally rehearse your next point. Just be there. Be fully present with your loved ones. Listen with your whole awareness.
And let your Seer, your dṛṣṭā, lead the way.