Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

We begin to unravel the treasure of Patanjali's Sutras. In Season 1, James shares sounding practices, chants, and songs to honor the start of our practice together. We explore Sutras 1.1-1.11.

In Season 3, James unpacks Sutras 1.17-1.22. In these sutras, Patanjali begins to look at the different types of samadhi—how they work, how we can use techniques to center ourselves, and finally how we can work on resolving conditioned patterns that are no longer serving us. If we are intent then deep integration or samadhi sits very close.

To deepen our relationship with the text, James starts Season 5 with a recap of what we've covered thus far. He then goes on to unpack Sutras 1.23-1.29 where we explore devotion to God or the Supreme.

In Season 7, James unpacks Sutras 1.33-1.39. We begin to look at the the principles that are considered essential to practice, as well as other techniques and meditations to assist us in coming to a steady, centered awareness. James guides us in two meditations to begin to apply the teachings.

James offers a complete recap of Chapter One of The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, resetting the context of these practical and timeless teachings and preparing us for Chapter Two, which we explore in Season 10. Together, we review who Patanjali was, what the Sutras are, and how the wisdom contained therein is still applicable for our lives today.

In Season 11, James guides us through Sutras 2.17-2.24. We’ve learned that we must “get in the game” of life in order to find balance and harmony. In this group of sutras, Patanjali describes the Sankhya model of reality, through which we can view the seen world as the playing field for this game of life, and the human vehicles we inhabit throughout that life as the players in the game. Sankhya yoga provides a perspective that the circumstances and events we encounter in life are meant to lead us to education, enjoyment, and emancipation.

In Season 13, we look more closely at the 1st and 2nd limbs of Ashtanga yoga, the Yamas and Niyamas, and what effects we might experience from cultivating them in our lives.