The Yoga Sutras
If somebody walked up to you + said they had something that could help you ride the waves of life, you would be inquisitive, curious, + want to know more.
Well, there is something.
The Yoga Sutras
How often do we make excuses?
How often do we put ourselves last?
Stop waiting for the circumstances to be "perfect" because you'll always be waiting.
Are you willing to practice? To discover all the wisdom yoga has to offer?
Then my advice to you is to take action.
And start.
Sutra means "thread," + so the Yoga Sutras are words beautifully threaded together. They're thousands of years old + are ancient treasures that can help us journey through modern-day life.
The Sutras are teachings from Patanjali, but it is unknown whether Patanjali was one person or multiple people sharing teachings. Thousands of years ago, people would have passed teachings like the Sutras orally, + their exact origin is unknown.
I read the "Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" that have been translated by Sri Swami Satchidananda.
I'm going to be TOTALLY honest with you, + I'm sure many people have thought the same. When I first started to discover yoga + read the Sutras by Sri Swami Satchidananda, I totally thought he was Patanjali on the book cover! So for anyone else thinking the same, it's not. But he has translated + shared his wisdom + insight.
There are 3 books that make up the "Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" + around 200 sutras altogether. They might be thousands of years old, but the wisdom of this text is still SO inspiring + relevant to modern-day living.
“We cannot reach the goal by mere words alone, without practice, nothing can be achieved”
Patanjali outlines the 8-fold path - the 8 limbs of yoga - in this text:
1. THE YAMAS
Think of the yamas as a guidebook on how to be a good human being! They include the teachings + practices of: ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (protection of energy), + aparigraha (non-attachment).
2. THE NIYAMAS
Like the niyamas, a guidebook for personal behavior. They include saucha (purity), santosha (contentment), tapas (discipline), svadhyaya (self-study), + ishvara pranidhana (surrender).
3. ASANA
Most people are familiar with this one! It is our practice on the mat + the word means posture. It is the preparation of the physical body for stillness. People often think ‘asana’ IS yoga, but when we dive in, we realize that it is 1/8th of a much bigger practice.
4. PRANAYAMA
Prana is our breath/life force, + yama means control, therefore pranayama is the practice of breath control.
5. PRATYAHARA
Means the withdrawal of the senses.
6. DHARANA
Refers to concentration. This is usually the first part of our meditation practice. We might find it difficult to concentrate once we arrive into our meditation. Our busy minds can be a reflection of a busy outside world.
7. DHYANA
The state of meditation.
8. SAMADHI
The experience of enlightenment, bliss, + peace.
Yoga-Inspired Living
The sutras can inspire us to live a yoga-inspired life in a modern-day world + help us journey through the fast pace of modern-day life. I'd argue we need the sutras more than ever! They teach us how to become the best version of ourselves + how we can show up for the world around us. The world needs your light + beautiful, unique energy!
The only problem with modern-day life is it has taught us to find a quick fix. We want it yesterday. We don't want to put the effort in.
There isn't just one sutra, there are nearly 200 of them. For a reason - it's a journey. And we're given not just one piece of wisdom to help us along the way, but SO much! A journey where we practice + practice + practice.
Learn More
Learn more about living a yoga-inspired life over on the Inspired Club.