Introduction to the Yoga Sutras: Threads of Knowledge

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Within the space of these two hundred short sutras, the entire science of Yoga is clearly delineated. 

- Sri Swami Satchidananda

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This month, I begin a daunting, multi-year project outlining key Sutras from the original yogi guidebook, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.  I don't pretend to be a Yoga Sutras expert, especially after reading commentary from some of the great translators and interpreters who have tackled this approach to yoga philosophy.  And this project won't be able to comprehensively explain all 196 Sutras of Patanjali's explanation of yoga, even over the course of four years.
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In the past, we’ve hosted Yoga Sutra book clubs, which produce rich discussions arising from our common understanding of the ideas Patanjali expounds. These discussions have inspired me in this effort.  It is amazing that although the Sutras were written centuries ago, the ideas are so universal that they always resonate as contemporary.  

I also take inspiration from the dharma talks my teacher, Sonia Sumar, has led on these Sutras.  Although we often return to a Sutra repeatedly in these talks, each new group of students brings its own perspective and illuminates the often dense and esoteric knowledge contained within the terse threads of wisdom.

Since we have plenty of blog posts for those just getting started practicing yoga (Our Approach to Teaching Yoga to Beginners, The Beginner's Mind, and Meditation for Beginners), I thought it was time to dive into the more philosophical components of our beloved practice of Patanjali’s yoga for those students advancing.  Studying these Sutras clearly shows that our role as yogis is much more than attaining mere physical fitness.  Our goal as advanced practitioners of yoga is spiritual fitness.

I enter this discussion humbly, as a student myself, and welcome your comments and insights throughout this process.  If you enter your thoughts as comments below each post, we are all benefitted by your experience and the project will be enriched.

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