Ep. 20 - Sutra 1.33 On the Locks and the Keys

Ep. 20 - Sutra 1.33 On the Locks and the Keys

This week we come home to exploring the “Locks & Keys”, the attributes that we cultivate to preserve the innate or natural serenity of the yogi’s mind in the face of the worldly winds of material life.  These attributes are also known as the brahmaviharas in Buddhist lineages, the divine abodes or sublime attitudes of the Buddha. We will discuss how we can seek to expand our capacity for each these attitudes - maitri (friendliness or loving-kindness), karuna (compassion), mudito (sympathetic joy), upekshanam (equinimity) as a path toward finding our true self & serenity of mind.

Ep. 19 - Sutras 1.27-29 On the Nature & Meaning of the Sacred Sound OM

This week we explore the nature and meaning of OM, the sacred sound of sound.  OM is spoken, chanted, or recited in many contexts - yoga ãsana classes, meditation practices, and rituals across Eastern lineages spanning Hinduism or Sonatan Dharma, Buddhism, Jainism, and even in forms across Abrahamic lineages (ShalOM, Amen, Amin).  OM is the sound of creation, the evolution of consciousness, and our shared uniting eternal lineage.  OM is beyond space and time, and connects profoundly to our highest selves and our fundamental interconnectedness.

Ep. 18 - Sutra 1.23 On the Only Shortcut in Yoga

This week we explore the only “shortcut” offered in the Yoga Sūtra - that by offering full surrender to the divine of our understanding we may accelerate or even reach enlightenment, bliss, and samādhi.  We will spend a moment to discern the difference between “religion” and “spirituality”, and how yoga itself is not a religion (while certainly having roots in religious tradition) and instead explore yoga as a spiritual practice of devotion.  We will explore the qualities of divine presence, the personal journey to this awareness and understanding, and look for paths to deepen this practice of surrender in our lifelong journey toward Truth.

Ep. 17 - Sutras 1.15-16 On the Nature of Detachment

This week we explore the other side of the “formula” by which we achieve yoga & look at the second component - vairagya - detachment.  We explore what it means to discover the nature of our physical desires in an effort to transcend them, and deepen that transcendence to the point at which we can perceive divine spiritual energy & presence.  The journey within to examine the seeds of our worldly desires is an immortal practice of self-study, and while challenging at times, is crucial to our journey toward Truth and Freedom.

Ep. 16 - Sutras 1.13-14 on the Nature of Practice

This week we go deeper into the essential formula by which we achieve yoga & look at the first component - abhyāsa - practice.  We explore what it means to be firmly established in a practice, and how we sustain our practices over extended periods, and throughout the duration of our lives.  Examining our actions as practices - which are intentional, which have become mindlessly habitual - is a critical step in developing the self-awareness needed for deep and sustained loving practice of yoga.