ShambhalaPublications,Inc.

4720WalnutStreet

Boulder,CO80301www.shambhala.com

©2018byKellyDiNardoandAmyPearce-HaydenAllrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,recording,or

byanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.

eBookdesignadaptedfromprintedbookdesignbyGopa&Ted2,Inc.Coverart:saemil/iStockphotoCoverdesign:Gopa©Ted2,Inc.

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataNames:DiNardo,Kelly,1976–author.Title:Livingthesutras:aguidetobringingyogawisdomtolife/KellyDiNardoandAmyPearce-Hayden.

Description:Boulder:Shambhala,2018.|Includesbibliographicalreferences.Identifiers:LCCN2017044380|ISBN9781611805499(paperback)eISBN9780834841598

Subjects:LCSH:Patañjali.Yogasūtra.|Hathayoga.|Yoga.|Mindandbody.|Self-care,Health.|BISAC:HEALTH&FITNESS/Yoga.|

PHILOSOPHY/Hindu.|SELF-HELP/Spiritual.Classification:LCCRA781.7.D5482018|DDC613.7/046—dc23

LCrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2017044380

v5.3.1a

ForJP,wholongagotoldmehejustwantedtomakemehappy.Youdo.—KD

ForJorge,myunconditionallylovingpartner.—APH

Contents

Introduction:NowWeBegin

BOOKONE:SamadhiPadaTrueColors:Sutras1:2–1:3ColorsofOurMind:Sutras1:4–1:11BalancingAct:Sutras1:12–1:16JoyRide:Sutras:1:17–1:18TheApproach:Sutras1:19–1:22DivineConnection:Sutras1:23–1:29Afflictions:Sutras1:30–1:31Antidotes:Sutras1:32–1:39DestinationZen:Sutras1:40–1:51

BOOKTWO:SadhanaPadaCreaturesofHabit:Sutras2:1–2:2ObstacleCourse:Sutras2:3–2:9BreakingtheCycle:Sutras2:10–2:16AMatterofPerspective:Sutras2:17–2:25EyesWideOpen:Sutras2:26–2:29TheOuterLimbs:Ready,Steady,Go:Sutras2:30–2:34TheFirstLimb:CoreCode:Sutras2:35–2:39TheSecondLimb:OurBehavioralBackbone:Sutras2:40–2:45TheThirdLimb:TakeaSeat:Sutras2:46–2:48TheFourthLimb:BreatheEasy:Sutras2:49–2:53TheFifthLimb:Quiet,Please:Sutras:2:54–2:55

BOOKTHREE:VibhutiPadaTheInnerLimbs:ThePathForward:Sutras3:1–3:3

AcknowledgmentsAppendix1:ResourcesAppendix2:TheSutrasAbouttheAuthorsE-mailSign-Up

INTRODUCTION

NowWeBegin

MIND. BODY. SPIRIT. In yoga, we explore all three, and on themat, we get aglimpse that there ismore to the practice than pretzel-like twists and gravity-defyingbalances. Inyourhands,youholdamindand spirit companion to thephysicalpractice.LivingtheSutrasisamodern,accessibleinterpretationofancientphilosophy

with exercises and writing prompts to help you make it alive, active, andapplicabletoyourlife.ItisbasedonTheYogaSutras,teachingscompiledbytheguruPatanjaliroughlytwothousandyearsago.Thesutrasareamapforhowtonavigatethroughthechallengesofhumanlife.Theycontainlessonsonhowtodealwith loss,pain,dissatisfaction,andalienation.And theyprovideguidanceonhowtocultivatejoyandleadahealthy,happy,fulfillinglife.It’schallengingtounfoldthismapwhenwe’reworkingtokeepourkneeover

our ankle in Crescent Pose or struggling to understand how ancient yogicwisdomcouldpossiblyhelpusdealwithadifficultboss,anirritatingsibling,oraroughpatchwithourpartner.Andthismaybewhythesutrasaresometimesseenasdense,incomprehensible,orirrelevanttomodernlife.This was certainly howKelly felt about the sutras formany years. After a

brief introduction to themduringoneyoga training, she tuckedher translationontoabookshelfwhereit,andtheideaswithin,grewdusty.Twelveyearslater,perchedon ablock at the front of hermat, she listened toher instructorAmygive a brief talk about viveka, or discernment. In her classes, and later overcoffee,Amymadethesutrasunderstandable,relevant,andpersonaltoKellyforthefirsttime.Thisguidegrewoutofthoseconversations.It’s important to note that this is not an academic study, a scholarly

examination,oraSanskritlesson.Rather,itisanofferingtothosewhofeelthereismoretothepracticeofyoga.Ifourtimeonthematisanopportunitytofeelwhereweareinourbodyandinourphysicallife,thenthisisachancetotake

ourpracticeoffthematandtolearnwhereweareinourmindandspirit.Itisaway to interact with the ancient philosophy in an active, modern way. It’s aguideforunderstandinghowthemindworksandanopportunitytorefocusourattentionsowecanbepresent.Itisaway—justoneway—tolivetheideathatyogaisaworkin,notjustaworkout.Sowhatistheworkin?Whatisthemoreofyoga?In the simplest terms, themore of yoga is a life of ease, contentment, and

purpose.TheYogaSutras,introducedbyPatanjali,isasystematicapproachforhowtoachievethat.Beyondlegend,littleisknownabouttheauthororevenifhe was a single person or several people. Patanjali did not create yoga; hecollected existing beliefs, ideas, and practices from various spiritualphilosophies,organizedthem,andcodifiedthemintoastep-by-stepprocessforself-realization.TheYogaSutrasarecomprisedof195compactsentencesthataredividedinto

four portions or books (padas). Patanjali first explains what yoga is, what asteadymindlookslike,andthevariousobstaclesthatkeepusfrommaintainingbalance.Inthesecondbook,hepresentsthetoolsandpracticesthatsupportthegoalofyoga.Intheremainderofthesutras,Patanjalidescribesingreatdetailthetransformationthatleadstothefullandcompleteunderstandingofourtrueselfandpotential.Thisyogicsystempromises:

► Thatthemindbecomessteadyandclearthroughpractice.► Thatthroughthesepractices,welearntominimizedistractionsandincrease

ourawarenessandpresenceineverydaylife.►Greater understanding and acceptance of ourselves, others, and theworld

aroundus.Thisgreaterunderstandingconnectsus toourdivine lightandteaches us how to reach our potential and live with purpose. And, withothers, we are able to communicate more clearly and understand theirwordsandactionssoourrelationshipsaremoreharmonious.

► Freedom from our fears, self-imposed limitations, and expectations.Classically,Patanjalitalksaboutremovingourlimitationstosuchadegreethat we are completely free, even of our own physicality, andwe couldgainsuperpowerslikelevitation,invisibility,andsupernormalhearing.

WetakealessSuperman-likeapproachandbelievePatanjaliwasinvitingustogobeyondwhatweperceive ispossible and to realize thatwepossessgreater

capability,knowledge,andpotential.Heistellingusthatwhenwegetaholdofourmindandsilencethechatter,wewillhearthetruevoicewithin,understandourspirit,functionfreeoflimitations,andbeabletodoanything.If thisseemsambitious, it is.Ourgoalsaregrand:wisdom,personal insight,

freedom,alifeofease.AsSriSwamiSatchidanandasaysinhistranslationandcommentaryofTheYogaSutras:“Never,neversettlefortheselittlethings.Ourgoal is something very high. It is eternal peace, eternal joy.Don’t settle for alittlepeace,foralittlejoy,forpettyhappiness.”TherearehundredsoftranslationsandcommentariesonTheYogaSutras,and

welistsomeofourfavoritesinappendix1,butLivingtheSutras issomethingdifferent.Thesutraswerewrittenforarenunciatelivinginsolitudethousandsofyearsago,anditischallengingtobuildabridgebetweentheancienttheoryandthemodern-dayapplication.WehopethatLivingtheSutraswillbeyourbridge.Thisbookcanbeused inmanywaysandatdifferent times inyour lifeand

practice.Itcanbeanintroductiontothisclassicalphilosophy.Itcanbeaquickguideandreferenceforstudentsandteachers.Butouraimisforyoutomakeitpartofanactiveself-studybyusingajournal,thewritingprompts,andexercisestobringtheancientwisdomofthesutrasintoyourlifeasapartofyourpractice.To do this, you might choose to read it from beginning to end to help youunderstandtheyogicsystemandtosupportyourpersonaljourney.Oryoumaylet chance give you focus and reflection for the day by randomly choosing asinglecommentaryandprompt.Howeveryouchoosetousethisguide,wehopeyou find it tobe anopportunity to actively engagewith the sutras in adeeplypersonalway.Like yoga, journaling is an act of self-study that requires concentration and

aims to shine a light on the truth about who we are. For this reason, we’vechosen to focus primarily on the first two books of the sutras, as they offerreason, theory, and practices that encourage and foster self-study,whereas thethird and fourth books are more descriptive of the results. For each sutra orgroupofsutras,weofferabriefinterpretationandwritingpromptsthatgiveyouthechancetoreflectonandapplyitsmeaningtoyourlife.Beforewebeginthisjourney,wehavesomeoverarchingadvice.When translated, the first yoga sutra, atha yoganushasanam (1:1), simply

states“Nowwebegin”or“Now the teachingsofyogaarepresented.”Wearepartialtoonevariationthatreads“Nowwebeginourpractice.”Itisapractice,an ongoing effort. A pianist doesn’t startwithChopin.A runner doesn’t start

withamarathon.Ittakesonenote,onestepatatime.Journalingaboutthesutrasdoesn’trequireanyspecialskills.Youdon’tneed

tostudyanythingbeforeyoubegin.Youdon’tneedtobeaskilledwriterorevenworryaboutgrammar.Infact,setanyofthoseexpectationsorpressuresasidesoyoucanletthethoughtsflow.Exploring thesutrasdoesn’tmakeyouBuddhistorHindu.Youcanpractice

yourownreligionornoreligionatall.Thewritingpromptsaremeanttoapplythesutrastoyourlife,withinanyfaithorseculartradition.Weinviteyoutoturnthisjournalingpracticeintoamindfulnesspractice.Put

away distractions, even your phone. Find a comfortable, quiet place to write.And,beforeyou takepen topaper, takeamoment tobecomestill andpresentwithslow,deep,evenbreaths.Nowwebegin.

BOOKONE

SamadhiPada

WEHAVEANOPPORTUNITY toliveourbest life.Webeginbylookingat theoneweare living,considerwemayhaveapartialorblockedview,andacceptwedon’tyethavethefullpicturetomakethenecessarychanges.In the first book (pada),SamadhiPada, Patanjali teachesushow to see the

completepicturebyshiftingourperspectivetooneofpossibilitythroughclarity.Heintroducesustowhatcloudsourimage—ourownself-imposedobstacles—andthemind’spowerwhenweremove these limitationsandclear thefog.Hesuggeststhatwiththisnewvantagepointwebegintounlockourpotential.Patanjali gives us a GPS system to begin to navigate away from these

obstaclesand towardourgoals.Thedirectionswillbeclearandspecific.And,justwhenwefeelwemightsink,hethrowsusalifepreserverbytellinguswehavethepowertoremoveourlimitationsthroughdiscipline,willpower,andthedevelopmentofdiscernment.The book’s title,Samadhi Pada, says it all.Samadhi is an idea, feeling, or

stateofbeingthat isbigger thanasingleEnglishword.Peoplehavetriedwithawakened,ecstatic,pristine,blissful, luminous,andenlightened.It isallofthisandmore.Itisthepromiseofyogaandtheplacewherewebegin.

TrueColors

yogashchitta-vrtti-nirodha(1:2)Yogaisthemasteryofthemind’sfluctuations.

.......

tadadrastuhsvarupe‘vasthanam(1:3)Whenthemindissteadyandcalm,weknowourtruenature.

THE GREATEST ADVENTURE of our lives is discovering our true nature,whowereallyare.I knowwho I am, youmight think.We all tell ourselves: I’m amother, a

runner,ayogi.I’matraveler,awriter,adoglover.I’mahusband,alawyer,afoodie. But who we are as a person, on the deepest level, has only a looserelationshipwiththeseroles.Theserolesmaybeonewayourtruenaturerevealsitself.Ormaybetheserolesareoneswefell intooutofhabitorsomesenseofexpectation.Our true self is whowe are beyond any single role or label. And our true

nature is expressed by our core beliefs, values, and passions, not what ourfriends,family,orsocietyexpectofus.Whenweknowandacceptourtrueself,weexperiencepeaceandclarity.We

staygroundedandconnectedtothemoralcompassthatdefinesus.Andwecanmake the most of our unique qualities and skills; we make the most of ourpotential.Thetrickisthatweliketoplaygameswiththemind.Weplayhide-and-seek

anddress-up—gamesthatdisguiseourtruenature.Whenweputthegamesbackintheirbox,webeginthediscoveryprocess.Thisisyoga.Thesutrasbeginbydefiningyogaasmasteryoverthefluctuationsofthemind

and explain that when the mind is steady and calm, we will know our truenature. The fluctuations are often described as “monkey mind.” It’s those

momentswhenourthoughtsjumpfromonetotheotherlikechatteringmonkeysleapingfrombranch tobranch.Ourwordsandactions followourmind.Whenourmind leaps from thought to thought,we are scattered.Whenwe quiet themonkeymind,webecometrulyattentiveinourlives.Weconnectwithwhowereallyare.Wefindthatwecanliveinease.Wediscoverourpurpose.Andwerealizeourfullpotential.

REFLECTION

Setatimerforfiveminutesandlistasmanywordsasyoucanthinkofthatdescribeanddefineyou.

ColorsofOurMind

vrtti-sarupyamitaratra(1:4)Atothertimes,wefollowthefluctuationsofthemind.

.......

vrttayapanchatayyahklishtaklishtah(1:5)Therearefivechangingstatesofthemindandtheyareeither

detrimentalornot.

.......

pramana-viparyaya-vikalpa-nidra-smrtayah(1:6)Theyarecorrectknowledge,misperception,imagination,

sleep,andmemory.

LET’S STARTWITH aquick lookat theyogicbody—ananatomy lesson thathasnothingtodowith theshouldergirdleor themedialmeniscusof theknee.Wepromise.Everythingintheuniverseismadeupoftwofacets—potential(purusha)and

howthatpotentialisexpressed(prakriti).Thinkofourpotentiallikeelectricity.It canbe expressedby turningona light, theblender, or the television.Everysingleoneofushasunlimitedpotential,yeteachoneofushasauniquewayofexpressing that.Youmightbe a colorfulTiffany lamp,while I’ma sleek flat-screenTV,butthesameelectricityrunsthroughboth.What gets in theway of us expressing our true nature, of realizing our full

potential,iswhatwecallthePhotoshopproblem.Therearefivestatesofmind(vrittis)thatareoftencomparedtoripplesorwavesinalake,butweliketothinkofthemascameralensesorInstagramfiltersthatcolorhowweseethings.Somesharpenthepicture,othersgiveasoftfocus.Somegiveoffalo-fi,vintagefeel.Someenhancethecolor,othersturntheworldblackandwhite.Somedistortthe

picturesomuch that the truthandessenceof the imageare lost.Similarly, thefiltersinourmindscanchangethepictureandalterourreality.Evenwhenthefiltersenhancethemindorthemood,theyobscurethetruthofthemoment.When a photo is doctored, it can be done so poorly that it’s immediately

obvious.Othertimesit’sdonesowellwe’dneverknow.It’sthesamewiththefiltersof themind.Wecanbe soused to seeing somethinga certainway thatwhenweremovethefilterandseeittruly,itmayseemfake.Simplynoticingthefilterandthedoctoredimageisthefirstpartofourpractice.Asweidentifythevariousfilters,webegintounderstandourreactions,wheretheystemfrom,andhow they hold us back. Patanjali will elaborate on each vritti over the nextseveralsutrastohelpusunderstandandidentifythem.

REFLECTION

Go back to your list and circle all the descriptors that are unchanging orunchangeable.Howdoyoufeelaboutthat?Forexample,I’mfivefeetfourand I’d actually like to be five eight. I’m disappointed and feel like myinnerbasketballstarneverhadachance.Or,I’mtheyoungestandIreallydislikehoweveryoneinthefamilybabiesme.Now, goback to your list andhighlight the positive descriptors in one

colorandthenegativedescriptorsinasecondcolor.Reflectingonboth,aretherethingsyou’dliketochangethatarechangeable?

pratyakshanumanagamahpramanani(1:7)Thesourceofrightknowledgeisbuiltonclearsenseperception,

logic,andverbalcommunication.

Whenwesee things throughaclear lensandaccuratelyperceive theobjectorsituation,wehavecorrectorrightknowledge.Weuncoverthisrightknowledgeinthreeways:throughsenseperception,logic,andverbalcommunication.Ifwestand in front of a campfire, we can see the fire, feel the heat, and smell thesmoke.Inthiscase,wehavefirsthandknowledgeofthefire.Weuselogicwhenwesee smokeand infer it comes froma fire.Andwe relyona trusted sourcewhenaforestrangertellsusthesmokeweseeaheadisfromacampsitebonfire.

When we consider this smoke-and-fire example, it seems simple, easy todiscernthetruth.Comingtorightknowledgeaboutourselvesandourpurposeisfarmoredifficultbecausewe’resousedtoseeingthingsthroughthefiltersandcolorsofourmind.

REFLECTION

Choosesomeoneyoutrustandwhoknowsyouwellandaskthemtosetatimerforfiveminutesandwriteasmanywordsastheycantodescribeyou.Whatsurprisesyou?Whatmakesyoufeelgood?Are thereanyyoudon’tagreewith?Now,compareyourlistandtheirsandnoteallthedescriptorsyouhave

incommon.Whatdoyounotice?

viparyayomithya-jnanamatad-rupa-pratishtham(1:8)Falseknowledgecomesfrommisperception.

Whenwelookthroughalenscloudedwithmisinformationandassumptions,wehavemisperception,theoppositeofrightknowledge.Whenourperceptionandrealitydon’tmatch,wecanbehurtordisappointed.Afriendcancelsonusandwe wonder why she is mad at us. (She’s just overloaded at work.) Our bosslooksconcernedandweworrywearegettinglaidoff.(Whenreallyhermomissick.)Ourpartnerquicklycloseshercomputerwhenwewalk in the roomandwegetangrythatshe’schattingwithanex.(She’splanningasurpriseromanticgetaway.)Whenweclearawaythefilterofmisperception,weavoidunnecessaryhurtandsufferingandcanmoveforwardwithapositive,hopefulattitude.

REFLECTION

Finishthissentence:Iwishothersknewthisaboutme…

shabda-jnananupativastu-shunyovikalpah(1:9)Misperceptionisconceptualizingorimaginingsomething

withoutanysubstanceorrealityasthebasis.

Thethirdlensthatcolorsourmindiswhenweimaginesomethingwithoutanysubstance or reality to back it up. Daydreaming, imagining, and visualizingevents and situations canbea creative release, anecessarybreak forourbusyminds,andaninspiringwaytoworktowardagoal.Theseareimportanttoolstohelpusmanifestourintentions.Infact,onewaywecankeepourmindfocusedin meditation is to envision an idea, emotion, object, or place that we findinspiring.However,whenourimaginationdistractsusorsetsusupfordisappointment

andsuffering,weputafilteronourrealitythatcanbeharmful.Forexample,onthewayhomefortheholidaysweenvisionaNormanRockwell–likesceneonlyto arrive and find the electricity is out, dinner is spoiled, and everyone isbickeringaboutthisturnofevents.Orasweprepareforourannualreview,weimaginetheaccolades,raise,andbonusonlytobetoldthecompanyisfreezingall raises.Wewant our imagination to keep us open to possibility rather thanstifleus.

REFLECTION

Reflecting on the last week, make a list of as many ways as you canremember when you found yourself daydreaming, visualizing, orforecasting. It can be as varied as Someday I want to live in France toimaginingthepossibleresultsfromlastweek’sbloodwork.Lookatyourlist.Whichofthesekeepyouopentopossibility?Whichof

thesestifleyou?Canyousee theflipsideandfindthealternative ineachone?Forexample,SomedayIwanttoliveinFrancemightencourageyoutotakelanguagelessonsandexploredifferentcareeroptions.Oryoucouldbesofocusedonit,youarefrustratedanddepressedaboutwhereyoulivenow.

abhava-pratyayalambanavrttirnidra(1:10)

Absenceofrealityalsoarisesfromdeepsleepwithoutthought,dreams,orothermovementsofthemind.

Deepsleepisnecessary,restorative,andsupportiveforasteadymind.It is theabsenceofawareness,thought,dreams,orothermovementsofthemind.Duringdeepsleepthemindisblank.Wehavenothoughtsordreams.Indeep

sleep,wehaveanaturallysteadymind,butbecausewearesleeping,wedon’tremember it. This same steadiness is what we’re working to acquire whileawake.If deep sleep is necessary and restorative, howcan it be a filter, a lens that

colorsthemind?Thereissomedebateamongyogichistoriansaboutwhetherornot it is a vritti. Thosewho say it is argue that deep sleep separates us fromreality.Thosewhocontendit’snotreasonthatbecausethemindissteady,deepsleepisnotafluctuationofthemind.Regardless,ifwecanbequietduringdeepsleep,thenweknowthemindiscapableofbecomingsteadywhilewe’reawake.

REFLECTION

For thenextweek,keepyour journalnearyourbed.Whenyouwakeup,beforedoinganythingelse,spendafewminuteswritingwhateverisinyourmind. It can be as simple as a list of thoughts, ideas, or images. At theweek’send,noteanypatterns.

anubhuta-vishayasampramoshahsmrtih(1:11)Memoryisapreviousexperiencethathasn’tbeenforgotten.

Memories are seeds. What is planted grows into future thoughts, words, andactions.They can grow into beautiful, sweet flowers that inspire us to loving,kind,thoughtfulaction.Or,whenweaddalayerofjudgmentordisappointment,ourmemoriescangrowintounrulyweedsthat triggerunkind,hurtful thoughtsandactions.

REFLECTION

Describe three of your clearest memories. How would you characterizethem? Happy, sad, disappointing, exciting, positive, negative? How haseachshapedyou?

REFLECTION

Readthroughyourjournalentriesonthevrittis,thefiltersofthemind,andlistanyrecurringwords,characters,feelings,orthoughts.Areanyoftheselimitingyouorholdingyoubackinsomeway?How?

Whichofthesesupport,encourage,orinspireyou?

BalancingAct

abhyasa-vairagyabhyamtan-nirodhah(1:12)Themind’sfluctuationsarestilledthroughpracticeand

acceptance.

SEVERAL THOUSAND YEARS AGO, Aesop told the story of the ant and thegrasshopper.Inthefable,thegrasshopperiskickingbackinthefield,enjoyingasunny summer day, while the ant hustles to gather food for winter. The fun-loving grasshopper ends up hungry, while the hardworking ant has a feast’sworthoffood.Thevirtueofhardworkanddiscipline isacommononeacrossculturesandsharedthroughparables,fables,andsong.LikeAesop’s ant,wewill need toput in steady, consistent effort (abhyasa)

towardourgoal.Atthesametime,wemustbecomfortablewithoureffortsandacceptingoftheresults(vairagya).What?I’msupposedtoworkhard,togatherfoodallsummer,butnotcare if Iactuallyreachmygoalandhaveastockpileforthewinter?Like a seesaw, these seemingly oppositional ideas work together to create

balance. The steady, consistent effort leads us in the right direction andacceptance allows us to continue the journey without being held back by thepleasureandpainofeverydaylife.Our ant was able to put in the effort because he wasn’t distracted by the

grasshopper’sinvitationtoplay.Thisisn’tanall-work-and-no-playidea.Who’stosaytheantdidn’theadtoyogaorthemoviesafterhisworkdaywasdone?Inourstory,theantachieveshisgoals.WhatAesopnevertellsusisthatour

antdiscoveredhewasallergictoeverythinghecollectedandcouldn’teatanyofit.Atfirsthewasdisappointed,naturally.Sohecookedforthecolony,threwaparty,andmetMrs.Ant,whohadplentyoffood.Sometimeswefeeloureffortsarewastedor they leadus somewhereunexpected.This sutra is a reminder toenjoythejourneyandnotworryabouttheresults.

REFLECTION

Listthreetofivelifegoalsyouareworkingtoward.Whatareyoudoingtomeetthesegoals?Whataretheresultsyou’rehopingfor?Howattachedareyoutotheresults?

tatrasthitauyatno’bhyasah(1:13)Practiceistheefforttosteadythemind.

.......

satudirgha-kala-nairantarya-satkarasevitodrdha-bhumih(1:14)Themindeasilybecomessteadywhenpracticeisconsistent,

sustained,andsincere.

Wecan’tcramforself-awareness.Andthefirstprincipleofasuccessfulpracticeis steady effort (abhyasa). It must be consistent, over a long time, withoutinterruption,anddonewithreverence.Consistenteffortovera long timemakessense.Putting in theworkwithan

attitudeofreverenceis trickier.Whatdoesthatmean?Classically, it’s theideathat our practice is considered transcendent as opposed to a routine chore orhabit.Wemust be driven by enthusiasm for our practice rather than by somesenseofdutyorideaofwhatweshoulddo.Wehavefoundalotofjoyinourpractice,andlikeRohitMehta’sexplanation

from Yoga: The Art of Integration: “The effort must have the quality ofcheerfulnessaboutit.Yogaisnotapathofwoe;itisindeedawayofjoy.Iftheeffort is prolonged and uninterrupted yet lacks this quality of joy, then it ishardlyofanyworthatall.Theeffortmusthaveanelementofpassionaboutit,for one cannot go to the door ofReality like a skeleton, completely squeezedout.”

REFLECTION

Definewhatjoyandtranscendencemeanstoyou.

Lookatyourlistofthreetofivegoals(1:12)andthespecificthingsyouare doing tomeet them. Is the effort you’re putting in bringing you joy?Doesitfeellikehabitorobligation?

drshtanushravika-vishaya-vitrshnasyavashikara-samjnavairagyam(1:15)

Acceptanceariseswhenwearefreefromcraving.

.......

tat-parampurusha-khyaterguna-vaitrshnyam(1:16)Supremeacceptanceleadstounderstandingourtrueselfand

occurswhenweallowforthechangingnatureoflife.

Thesecond ingredient toa successfulpractice isvairagya,which is classicallytranslated as dispassion. But dispassion could bemistaken for indifference orapathy,which iswhy it’softenexplainedasnonattachmentoracceptance.Wearepartialtothewordcraving.Bypracticingvairagya,wearen’tcravingforanythingelse.Physicallywe’re

not craving food, drink, sex, clothes, and other bodily needs or pleasures.Mentallyandemotionally,we’renotwantingthingstobeanydifferentthantheyarerightnow.Whereweareisenough.Whenwhereweare is enough,wearen’t emotionallywhipsawedbywhat’s

happening around us. The Yoga Sutras explain that there are three types ofenergy(gunas) that run througheverything.One isenergetic,dynamic.Picturethewavesasurfermightseekout.Thesecondisheavyandinertlikethewatersof a muddy pond. The third is balanced, harmonious.When where we are isenough,wearesailingtowardourgoalsonaboat thatremainssteadywhetherthewavesarefierceorthewatersaresluggish.When we let go of any expectations amid full effort, we have balanced

abhyasaandvairagya.Wearen’ttossedaboutbylife’swaves.Andthatiswhenmind,body,heart,andspiritarefullyopentothepresentmoment.

REFLECTION

Whendoyoufeelbalanced,harmonious?Whataretheobstaclesyoufaceinacceptingwhereyouare?

JoyRide

vitarka-vicharanandasmita-rupanugamatsamprajnatah(1:17)Samadhiistheprocessofcompleteabsorptionbroughtonby

reasoning,reflection,joy,andself-understanding.

.......

virama-pratyayabhyasa-purvahsamskara-shesho‘nyah(1:18)

Samadhiisalsothestateatwhichwearrivewhenthemindissteady.

IMAGINEYOU’REINTHEALPS.Perchedatthetopofaskislope,youpushoffandbegin your descent.Youmove deliberately, turning smoothly through the arc.Youpickupspeedbutremainbalanced.You’redancingdowntheslopeontheedges of your skis. Nothing exists but you and this mountain. You are fullyimmersed inskiing,andeverything isworking incompleteharmony.Youfeelvibrantlyalive,connected,atpeace.Youaremovingwithprecision,grace,ease.You’reinthezone.You’reinflow.Maybeyou’renotaskier,butwe’veallhadsimilarexperiences,momentsof

complete absorption, singular focus, and heightened awareness. Some of usexperienceitthroughwriting,art,listeningtomusic.Sometimesitcomeswhilewatchingthesunset,gardening,orinyogaclass.Inthe1960s,Dr.MihalyCsikszentmihalyistudiedandcoinedthetermflow.

Hisresearchfoundthatmoneyandthingshadlittleimpactonourhappiness.Weare at our happiestwhen in flow.Csikszentmihalyi says that our job is to putmore and more of our everyday life into flow—to find it at work, in oureducation,ourphysicalpursuits,andourspirituallives.Andultimatelythiswillleadtogreaterhealthandhappinessbeyondthatsingularactivity.Thisflowstateistheperfectdescriptionforsamadhi.Oftentranslatedasbliss

orecstasy,samadhiisastateofcompleteabsorption.Weareawakeinside.We

havesteadiedthemind,wearefullypresentandaware,weareconnected,andwetrulyexperienceandunderstandourspirit.Thisultimatelevelofsamadhiiswhen flow happens not only during a singular activity but carries into oureveryday life effortlessly.Throughyoga,we learn to livemoreofour lives inflow.Whenthishappens,wecanlivealifeofease.Easedoesn’tmeaneasy.Forus,

it means to be clear about who we are and to be free from our self-imposedlimitationsandexpectationssothatanythingispossible.

REFLECTION

Whenhaveyoubeeninflow?Nameanddescribeasmanysituationsasyoucan in asmuch detail as possible. Do you recognize any patterns?Whatbroughtyououtofthatstateofflow?

We spent some time talking about when each of us has been in flow. ForKelly,it’sskiing,running,oryoga.Sherecognizeditwasaphysicalactivityinwhichshehadremovedalldistractions.Shecomesoutof thatflowstatewhentheactivityends.ForAmy,it’swhenshe’screatedthespacetobewithherself,whether that’s on retreat or an afternoonwalk by herself.WhenAmy doesn’thavethatspace,sheletshersingularselftakeabackseattoherotherrolesandresponsibilities.

TheApproach

bhava-pratyayovideha-prakrti-layanam(1:19)Samadhiisanaturalstateforsomeonewhoisenlightened.

.......

shraddha-virya-smrti-samadhi-prajna-purvakahitaresham(1:20)

Fortherestofus,wemustusefaith,passion,mindfulness,quiet,andgoodjudgmenttosupportourjourneytoward

samadhi.

OURLIFEISareflectionofourattitude,theenergyofourmind.Whenwelookattheworldangrily,fearfully,cynically,it’seasytogetsuckedintoarguments,theblame game, jealousy, and gossip. But when we approach the worldoptimisticallyandconfidently,weareopentohappiness,havegreaterresilience,makebetterdecisions,andincreaseourchancesofsuccess.Butwhat is anattitude for success?The right attitude, theoneneeded for a

successfulpractice,ismadeupoffivekeyelements:faith,energy,mindfulness,focus,andwisdom.

1.FAITH(shraddha)Inyoga, faith isn’t a spiritual-based faithor blind faith in something. It’sfaiththatwearegoingintherightdirection,faithinourpath,faiththatourpracticewillleadtoalifeofease.Wemaynotknowwherewewillendup,butwehavecertainty,conviction,andcourageinourjourney.

REFLECTION

Having faith isanactofcourage.Writedownyourpersonaldefinitionof

courage. How has that been shaped? Family, movies, experiences? Howcouldyourdefinitionofcouragesupportyou inbringing thestateof flowintoyoureverydaylife?

2.ENERGY(virya)Wouldyouexpectyourphonetostaychargedifyoudidn’tplugitin?Weneed the same energy, fuel, and attention. In Sanskrit, virya refers to thepower of a great warrior to overcome his enemies. It is the mental andphysical energy, endurance, diligence, and enthusiasm we need in ourpractice. It is the idea that what we put in is what we get out. It is thecommitmenttoshowupanddotheworkevenwhenjournaling,meditating,or unrolling our mat is less appealing than snuggling on the couch andcatchinguponourfavoriteshow.

REFLECTION

Whatinyourlifeismoredeservingofyourenergynow?

3.MINDFULNESS(smriti)Classically, smriti is translated as memory, but it’s not reminiscences.Rather,it’sacalltoreflectonapastpositiveexperiencetobolsterusinthepresentmomentandkeepusmindfulandawareonourpath.

REFLECTION

List threechallengesyouovercame.Whatdidyouchangewithinyourselftosucceed?

4.FOCUS(samadhi)Byfocusingonourphysical,mental,andspiritualpractice,wewill shake

off distractions and be able to develop deeper and deeper levels ofconcentration. Through focus, the state of samadhi will transcend oureveryday,singularpursuits.

REFLECTION

Makealistofyourdistractions.Thenchooseatimeorataskwhereyoucanbe silent and distraction-free. Maybe it’s eating lunch, paying bills, orfolding laundry without music or the television on in the background.Maybe it’s silencing your social media during breakfast or putting yourphoneoutofreachwhileyou’reinbed.Whatdoyounotice?Howdidyourbodyormindreact?

5.WISDOM(prajna)Eachofushasavoicewithinus,butwedon’talwayshear it.Sometimeswe’re too loud. Sometimeswe’re not speaking the same language as ourinner voice. Prajna isn’t the knowledge that comes from book learning.Rather,it’sthetypeofwisdomthathelpsusquietthedistractionsandlearntolisten,hear,andunderstandourinnervoice,ourintuition.

REFLECTION

If your eight-year-old self traveled forward in time,whatwould hewantyoutoknowaboutyourselfrightnow?Whatadvicewouldhegiveyou?Ifyourninety-year-oldself traveledbackin time,whatwouldshewant

youtoknowaboutyourselfrightnow?Whatadvicewouldshegiveyou?

tivra-samveganamasannah(1:21)Thestateofsamadhicomesquicklytothesincereanddiligent.

.......

mrdu-madhyadhimatratvattato’pivisheshah(1:22)Thetimenecessarytoreachthestateofsamadhiisbasedonthestrengthofourcommitmenttoourpractice—mild,medium,

orintense.

Oftenwejustseethehighlightreel.TheNewYorkTimesfront-pagereviewandinclusion inOprah’s BookClub. The at-the-buzzer, game-winning three-pointshot.Thewittyacceptancespeech.Wedon’tseethebutt-in-chairdiscipline,thehours of practice at the foul line, the years of failed auditions. We see thesuccessbutnottheattentionandeffort.Here,Patanjali tellsus that ifourgoal issincerely inourheartandwehave

truly committed, we will have success. How long that takes depends on theeffortweputin—mild,medium,orintense.InTheSecretoftheYogaSutra,PanditRajmaniTigunaitliststhreecategories

ofeffort:thefirstissomeonewhodoesn’tputinmucheffort.He’swaitingformiracles and simple, easy solutions. The second person starts his practice butstopswhenobstaclespopupinhispath.Thethirdpersoncannotbestopped.Areyouwillingtodothework?Areyoulookingforeasysolutions?Doyou

balkunderpressure?Orareyouundauntedbyobstaclesandunafraid to investthetimeandresourcestoachieveyourgoals?

REFLECTION

List your priorities.Which of these do you have to do, choose to do, orwant to do? Forwhich of thesewould you like to adjust the intensity ofyoureffort?Itcangoinbothdirectionsandcouldbefrommildtointenseorintensetomedium.

DivineConnection

Ishvara-pranidhanadva(1:23)Themoredirectmethodtoreachingthestateofsamadhiis

bysurrenderingtothedivineplan.

.......

klesha-karma-vipakashayairaparamrshtahpurusha-visheshaIshvarah(1:24)Thedivineplanisthesourceofourtrue

natureandisflawless.

.......

tatraniratishayamsarvajna-bijam(1:25)Thedivineisbothall-knowingandknowledgeitself.

.......

purveshamapiguruhkalenanavachchedat(1:26)Thedivinehasalwaysexistedandisthesupremeteacher.

LET’STALKABOUToneofthosesticky-dinner-tabletopics:God.Here,Patanjalitellsusthequickest,mostdirectwaytofindpeaceandeasein

ourlifeandtoliveinflowistosurrendertoGod.Thisisn’tacreatorGod,Godon high, or even one perched atop a pedestal. Ishvara is the pure essence,universalgood,theeternallovethatliveswithineverythingandeveryone.Likeairorwater,thisdivinityisanelementthattouchesandliveswithinallthings.Life is always changing, but the divinity thatweaves through each of us is

constant,whole, unbroken.Understanding and accepting this gives us strengthandsupportinthefaceoflife’sshifts,fluctuations,andturmoil.Nomatterwhatweface,weareconnected.Wearenotalone.

REFLECTION

These sutras define the divine.Write down what divinity means to you.Keepingyourdefinition inmind,whendoyoufeelmostconnected to thedivine?Howcanyoubringmoreofthatintoyourlife?

tasyavachakahpranavah(1:27)ThedivineisexpressedthroughthesoundOM.

.......

taj-japastad-artha-bhavanam(1:28)RepeatingandreflectingonOMrevealsthemeaningofthedivine.

.......

tatahpratyak-chetanadhigamo’pyantarayabhavashcha(1:29)Weunderstandandexperienceourpotentialdivinitybychanting

andreflectinguponOM.

Early inKelly’spractice,she rarelychanted,even thesimpleOM.Nooneevermistook her for a rock star, and shewas afraid her voicewould bother otherpeople. She would sit and listen, feel the vibration of the other voices ripplethroughher,andwaittostartherpractice.Thenateacherwithaboomingvoiceand a gift for encouraging even the shyest of students into joining simple,beautiful chantsgaveher the confidence to try.Eventually sheunderstood shewasn’twaitingtostartherpracticeaftereveryonechantedOM,butthatwasthestartofherpractice.OMismorethanthestartofourpractice,morethananinvitationtobegin.The

symbolandthewordrepresentthedivinethreadthatrunsthroughtheuniverse.Itisareflectionofthatenergy,andbypracticing,repeating,andmeditatingonOM,wecanbegintounderstandandconnectwiththatdivinity.ThroughOM,weconnectwithourinnerbeingandareabletoovercomeobstacles.Pictureanice-skatingrinkthathasbeenskatedonconstantlyforseveraldays.

Thegrooves in the icearedeepandeasilycatch thebladesofour skates.Themindworksthesameway.Athought,feeling,orimagethatrepeatsitselfcreatesa groove that’s tough to smooth out. OM is like the Zamboni for the mind,resurfacingandsmoothingoutthethingsthattripusup.Itisamentalreset.It’s a mental reset with scientific backing. A study published in the

International Journal of Yoga found that chanting OM reduced activity in thelimbic system, the part of the brain associated with stress and emotions. Inanotherstudy,scientistsfromtheNationalInstitutesofHealthfoundthosewhopracticed kirtan kriya, a meditative form of yoga that involves chanting, sawsubstantial improvement in mood and mental health. These studies dovetailnicely with other research that shows that singing, playing, and listening tomusiccanreducelevelsofthestresshormonecortisol.If chanting isn’t for you, there are otherways tomeditate onOM. You can

listentootherpeopleorrecordingsofOM.Youcanwritethewordout.Youcandraworcolorthesymbol.Studiesshowthatsilentrepetitiondoeshaveaneffect.Onestudyshoweditcanimprovesubjectivemood,andothershaveshownthatevenimaginingperformingmusicstrengthensnerveconnections.ThepowerofOMisgreaterthantheauralsound.

REFLECTION

Create apracticeusingOM.For thenext sevendays, take fiveminutes tofollowthatpracticeandjournalhowyoufeelafter.

Afflictions

vyadhi-styana-samshaya-pramadalasyavirati-bhranti-darshanalabdha-bhumikatvanavasthitatvanichitta-vikeshpas

te’ntarayah(1:30)Illness,procrastination,doubt,carelessness,laziness,longing,confusion,apathy,and

instabilityaretheobstaclesthatcreatepaininvariousways.

.......

duhkha-daurmanasyangam-ejayatva-shvasa-prashvasavikshepa-saha-bhuvah(1:31)

Theobstaclesthatcausesufferingmanifestasmentalagitation,physicaltrembling,anderraticbreathing.

IT’SEASYtogetdistractedinlife.Inatypicalday,theaveragepersontakesintheequivalent of 174 newspapers’ worth of information and watches about fivehours of TV. Each hour, we flip between an average of 37 open computerwindows.Andminutebyminute,we arebombardedby texts, e-mails, tweets,andFacebookupdates.This has become a favorite topic for brain researchers, who have quickly

smashedthemultitaskingmyth.Inmostsituations,we’renotreallymultitasking;we’retogglingourattentionbetweenactivities.Theresultisthatitactuallytakesuslongertoaccomplishwhateverweweredoing,anditmaybehavingalong-termimpactonourconcentrationandcreativity.Patanjali may not have had the dings of technology, but he understood

distraction and described nine broad categories: illness, procrastination, doubt,carelessness, laziness, longing, confusion, apathy, and instability (backsliding).Wemayrecognizethemontheirownorastheunderlyingcausebehindsomeofourmodern-daybehaviors.In some instances, these distractions are harmless, but, Patanjali says,when

we allow them to disturb our practice, they lead to mental or physical pain,

sadness, restlessness, and anxiety. Thumbing through Facebook for a fewminutes isn’t a big deal until our airbrushed lives promote competition, envy,loneliness,oranxiety.

REFLECTION

Insutras1:19and1:20,welistedourdistractions.LookatyourlistandputthemintooneofPatanjali’sninecategories.Doyourdistractionsbelongtoadominantcategory?

Antidotes

tat-pratishedharthameka-tattvabhyasah(1:32)Spiritualone-pointednessisthebestwaytoremovethe

obstacles.

IN YOGA, we talk about cultivating one-pointedness. It’s the exact opposite ofmultitaskingandtheantidotetoourdistractions.It’screatingasingularfocusforour mind to concentrate on—our breath, an intention, the sound of OM. Overtime,thisconsistentpracticeordisciplinestrengthensourabilitytoholdaposeor meditate for extended periods. Over the next few sutras Patanjali offersseveraloptionsthatcouldactaspointsoffocus.Inadditiontojournalprompts,weprovideexercisestohelpyoufollowPatanjali’sadviceandevaluatehowyoufeel before and after. This is designed to help you find the methods andtechniquesthatserveyoubest.

maitri-karuna-muditopekshanamsukha-duhkha-punyapunya-vishayanambhavanataschitta-prasadanam(1:33)

Orthemindremainssteadyandcalmwhenwerespondwiththeappropriateattitudeforthesituation.

In a perfect world, we would be surrounded by kind, considerate, generouspeople.Theywouldgetourjokesandwewouldbellylaughattheirs.Wewouldcelebrate their successes and they would toast ours. In reality, people can beprickly, grumpy; they can just really drive us nuts—even the shiny, happyPollyannas.Thissutragivesusatangibleandsimple—thoughnoteasy—waytoapproachotherssowestayclearandcalm.Atanygiventime,therearefourattitudesthatcoloramoment:happinessor

unhappiness,virtuousnessorwickedness.Wecankeepourowncalmandpeacebyrespondingwithfriendliness,compassion,joy,andrestraint.

Behappyforthosewhoarehappy.Itmayseemsimple,butoftenourreactionto

good news—a friend’s engagement, a coworker’s promotion—is jealousyorself-doubt.Otherpeople’shappinesscantriggerourownfrustrationanddisappointment.Whenwecan trulyshare inanotherperson’s joyorgoodfortune,wegiveourownhappinessaboost.Onewaytopracticethisistointentionallysurroundourselveswiththosewhoarehappysowecultivatethatsamehappiness.

Findcompassion for thosewhoareunhappy. It’seasy towonder ifsomeone’smisfortune is the resultofbadchoices, to feel imposeduponbysomeoneelse’sneeds,ortobesweptupintosomeone’sunhappiness.Whensomeoneishurting,nomatter thegrounds, the first thing theyneed iscompassion.Thatcanbehardtogive,soflipitaround:Whatdoyouneedwhenyou’reunhappy?Canyougivethattosomeoneelse?Canyougiveittoyourself?

Havejoyforthevirtuous.It’simportanttounderstandthatherevirtuousdoesn’tmeanrighteousorpious.Atitssimplest, it’sdoingtherightthing.It’sthecombinationofaperson’sgoodqualities—integrity,humility,generosity—andtheworktheyputinfortheiraccomplishments. Sometimes we try to pull others down to build ourselves up. Forexample,whenourcoworkergetsapromotionandwethink,whythemor,she got lucky, we’re belittling their achievement to make ourselves feelbetter.ButPatanjalisaysweshouldacknowledgeandrespectthefocusanddisciplinethatwentintotheirefforts.Weshouldrecognizeandcelebrateintheirachievements.Whenwecandothat,whenwecanfindjoyanddelightin others’ goodness,we cultivate those same good qualities in ourselves.The fogof jealousycanclearandwecanbe inspiredby the successesofthosearoundus.

Exercise restraint toward the wicked.When someone’s behavior goes againstourvaluesorbeliefs,it’snaturaltodefendthem,easytojudge,preach,andevenbecomeangry.Oftenthisjustcreatesfurtherconflict.Classically,thissutra is translated as indifference or disregard, but that could imply weignoreinjustice,corruption,anddishonesty.Thissutraisn’tsuggestingwedon’ttakeactionbuttellsushowtoact—withrestraintandequanimity.It’sreminding us to engage in a way that is nonviolent, non-harmful. It’sremindingustorespondfromaplaceofloveandshareddivinity.

It’s important to recognize that wemust begin with ourselves.When we cancelebrate personal victories, be compassionate with ourselves, feel joy in ourachievements,andforgiveourshortcomings,lifebecomeseasierandhappier.

REFLECTION

Calltomindsomeoneyou’restrugglingwithandidentifywhichofthefourcategoriestheyfitinto.Aretheyhappy,unhappy,morevirtuousthanyou,or just plain negative?Howdo you normally respond to them?How canyou approach them following Patanjali’s advice? Go and do it. Journalabouttheexperienceandhowitfeels.

prachchardana-vidharanabhyamvapranasya(1:34)Orthemindbecomesclearthroughcontrolledbreathing,

specificallyexhalingandretainingthebreath.

Thinkabouthowthebreathchangeswhenwe’rehappy,relaxed,angry,sad,or stressed. When we’re happy and relaxed, our breath is long and smooth.Whenwe’reangry,webreatherapidly.Whenwe’reafraid,ourbreathisshallow.Sometimeswe hold our breath. Sometimes it’s erratic.Oneway to stay calm,explainsPatanjali,istoregulatethebreath.Theadvice to“takeadeepbreath”mayseem trite,dismissive,annoying,or

cliché,butthere’ssomesolidsciencebehindit.Whenourexhaleisevenafewcountslongerthanourinhale, thevagusnerve(awindingnervethatrunsfromtheneckthroughthediaphragm)tellsthenervoussystemtochillout.Ourheartratedrops,bloodpressure lowers, thebloodvessels relax,andourwholebodyphysicallycalmsdown.

REFLECTION

Onascaleofone tofive,withonebeingZen-likeandfivebeingoff-the-railsscattered,ratehowcalm,clear,andfocusedyoufeel.Make yourself comfortable and, without altering the breath, notice its

rhythm,depth,andanyirregularities.Afterafewminutes,practicewhatwecall theha breath,which supports diaphragmaticbreathing. Inhale slowlyand smoothly through your nose. Open your mouth and exhale with awhispered haaaaaaaaa sound, until completely empty. Pause and stayempty for three counts. Repeat for ten rounds with resting breaths asneeded.Whenyou’refinished, letyourbreathreturntonormalandnoticeanydifferences.Now, on a scale of one to five, rate how calm, clear, and focused you

feel.Journalaboutyourexperience.Didithelp?Doyoufeeldifferent?Inwhatway?

vishayavativapravrttirutpannamanasahsthiti-nibandhani(1:35)

Orcultivatingawarenesscangiveusadeepersenseofcalmandpresence.

Somanyofusliveinourhead—lettingourmindturnthingsover,narratingthesituation,planning thenext thing. It’seasy toget stuck inour thoughts, tonotliveinthemoment,tobesobusytellingourselvesthestoryofourlifethatwe’renotactually living it ina fullyattentiveandpresentway.Anotherway to staycalm, says Patanjali, is to actually get out of our head and focus through oursenses.Whatdoes thatmean?Onemodern-dayexampleis throughforestbathing,a

Japanesemindfulnesspractice that involves soakingupnaturewithallofyoursenses.Kellywasworkingonastoryaboutthetrend.Attheendofalongday,withdishesstill inthesink,shewasstressedabouthavingtoaddsomethingtoher to-do list even if it was sitting in nature. When she did, her internalmonologueyammeredon,distractingher. Inaneffort to focus, shecataloguedeverythingaroundher throughherdifferentsenses.Shesaw thepalebluesky.Sheheardbirdssingingtheend-of-the-daycall-and-response.Shefeltthegrassbetween her toes, the breeze on her arms. She smelled the faint smell ofcharcoal.Shewassoinvolvedinnoticingtheworldaroundherthatshebecamecalmandfullyengagedinthemoment,andherinnervoiceremindingherofherto-dolisthadbeenshushed.Our senses are usually on autopilot. We use our senses to take in tons of

informationcontinuously—thehumofacardrivingby,thepalebluecoloroftheofficewalls—butourmindfiltersmostofitoutuntilit’spotentiallyimportantoruseful.Fullytuningintothesenseshelpsuscomeintothepresentmomentanddeepenourexperience.

REFLECTION

Onascaleofone tofive,withonebeingZen-likeandfivebeingoff-the-railsscattered,ratehowcalm,clear,andfocusedyoufeel.Thebeautyofcultivatingawarenessisthatitcanhappenanywhere.So,

whereveryouare,makeyourself comfortable, set a timer forat least fiveminutes, and in your mind, catalog everything you see, smell, hear, andfeel.Ifthere’sstilltime,begintheinventoryagain.Now, on a scale of one to five, rate how calm, clear, and focused you

feel.Journalaboutyourexperience.Didithelp?Doyoufeeldifferent?Inwhatway?

vishokavajyotishmati(1:36)Orbycultivatingawarenessofourinnerdivinitywecreatea

peacefulandcalmmind.

What you think, you become. Ifwe direct our attention to the dark corners—anger, frustration, cynicism, doubt, disappointment, or fear—then we remainunsettled,uneasy.Butwecancalmourmindsbyfocusingonourinnerlight,ourinnategoodness.At its simplest, this remindsus thatwealreadypossessgoodandvaluablequalities.

REFLECTION

Whenwe fall in love,we are easily and naturally filledwith admiration,gratitude, appreciation, and kindness toward our love.We see the best inthem.Itcanbemoredifficulttorecognizethatsamesparkwithinusorfeelthatloveforourselves.So,today,writealovelettertoyourself.

vita-raga-vishayamvachittam(1:37)Orwesteadythemindbyfocusinguponsomeonewhois

peacefulandvirtuous.

Since thebeginningofour lives,wehave learned from,modeledourbehavioron,andbeeninspiredbyotherpeople—ourparents,friends,celebrities,teachers.It’s one of the ways we learn about the world and how to interact with itsuccessfully.And here, Patanjali sayswe can calm ourminds by focusing onsomeone who embodies the characteristics or traits we’re trying to achieve.Think of this as the positive alternative tomom telling us she didn’twant ushangingoutwiththosekids.Thissutrasaysmomwasright—webecomelikethepeoplewesurroundourselveswith.Bysurroundingourselveswithgoodpeoplewho already embody the qualities we want, we learn to cultivate those samequalities.

REFLECTION

As we discussed in sutra 1:20, faith is one of the keys to a successfulattitude. To be inspired is a lesson in faith. We’ve all been inspired bysomeonewhohasovercomean incredibleobstacleorwhodemonstratesaqualityweadmireandareworkingtopossess.Whenweseepossibility,itdeepensfaith.Namethreepeopleyoufeelinspiredbyoradmire.Whatisitaboutthosepeoplethatgivesyoufaith?Whatmakesthembothdivineandhuman?

svapna-nidra-jnanalambanamva(1:38)Orthemindcanbecomecalmwhenitissupportedbysleepand

theknowledgeofenlighteningdreams.

Culturally,we’veflip-floppedonsleep.Shortsleepschedulesusedtobeabadgeofhonorwithcorporatetitans,presidents,andleaderscreditingtheirsuccessesto

needinglesssleep.Now,companiessuchasAccentureandUberareworkingonanti-burnout programs that focus heavily on the importance of sleep. Others,such as Aetna, offer sleep bonuses. And there’s a growing number of sleepclasses,apps,andothergadgetsmeanttohelpusfallasleepfaster,sleepbetterandlonger,ortakeatime-outtonap.Wearefinallyrecognizingthatsleepisoneofthemosteffectivewaystoresetourbrainsandbodies.It turns out the ancient yogis were thousands of years ahead of their time.

Theydescribedfourstatesofconsciousness:ourordinarywakingstate;anactivedreamingstate;deep sleep,whereourmind is steadyandquiet; andanawakebutmeditativestateinwhichourmindisdeeplyengagedinthepresentmoment.Byencouragingrestful,uninterrupted,deepsleep,wecanbringthismeditativestateintoourdailylives.Byrestingandresetting,weencouragegreaterpresenceandawarenessinoureverydaylife.

REFLECTION

Mostofusstartourmorningwithroutinesandritualsthatcansetthetonefor the day—brushing teeth,making coffee, exercising. In the sameway,weshouldcreateeveningritualsthatprepareusforrestorativesleep.Amy’sbedtimeritualsincludesharingthreegratitudeswithherpartner,settinganintention for the next day, and taking a few restorative yoga postures orsitting quietly in meditation. Kelly adds lavender or Thieves oil to herhumidifierandreadsanon-work-relatedbook.Write yourself a bedtime prescription that incorporates relaxing and

calming rituals. Keep in mind that there’s no one-size-fits-all practice.What’simportantisthatyouwriteaprescriptionthateliminatesstimulationand triggers relaxation. Practice it for the next week and spend a fewminuteseachmorningjournalinghowyousleptthenightbefore.Attheendoftheweek,howhasyoursleepchanged?Howdoyoufeel?

yathabhimata-dhyanadva(1:39)Orwecancalmthemindbyplacingourattentiononaspecificobject

thatupliftsus.

After sharing a variety of techniques to calm and stabilize themind, Patanjalitellsustojustfindsomething.Thatsomethingshouldbecarefullychosensoitsupportsandenrichesourpractice.Mandalas, rosarybeads,ora statueofBuddhaarea few traditionaloptions.

Wecanalsouseprayer,mantra,peacefulmusic,ornature.Whateverwechoose,it’s important we spend some time choosing it—looking for something thatleavesushappyorinspired.The first timeAmywent to India, shewentwithout any jewelry.When she

arrivedat theashram, thegurunoticedandaskedwhy.Sheexplained that shewanted to make traveling safer and easier. He responded by telling her it’simportant towearsymbolsofourspiritualpractice.Theseare touchstones thatremindusofourpath, the samewaypeoplewearacrossaround theirneck,amalaaroundtheirwrist,orkeepacrystalintheirpocket.

REFLECTION

Whendoyoufeeluplifted?Describeafewsituationsindetail.Identifythepatterns andmarksof eachof theseexperiences.Findawordor two thatsumsitallup.Withthatwordinmind,chooseanobjectyoucankeepwithornearyou that symbolizes thatquality.Throughout theweek,whenyoufeel unsteady, anxious, or down, turn to your object and reflect upon thequalitiesitrepresents.Journalaboutyourexperience.Forexample,Kellyfeelsupliftedwhenthere isnothingpressingonher

to-dolistandshefeelslikeshecanactuallychoosehowtospendhertime,whetherit’sreadingthepaperorhikingwithherfamily.Shefeelsfreeandunrestricted.HanginginKelly’sofficearetwodifferentmapsofParisandan antique sodawater bottle she bought at a fleamarket there. They aretouchstones to a time when she could meander through the streetsunrestricted.Theseobjectsholdthosesamequalitiesandleaveheruplifted.

REFLECTION

Inthelastsixsutras(1:34to1:39),weexploreddifferentmethodstoclearandcalmthemind.Reflectonyourexperienceswitheachandjournalaboutthosethatweremosteffectiveandwhy.

DestinationZen

paramanu-parama-mahattvanto’syavashikarah(1:40)Graduallyourknowledgestretchesfromthefinitetothe

infinite.

.......

kshina-vrtterabhijatasyevamanergrahitr-grahana-grahyeshutat-stha-tad-anjanatasamapattih(1:41)Fullknowledge

arriveswhenwediminishtheobstaclestothepointwherethemindisclearandtransparent.Inthisstate,there’sno

differencebetweenus,knowledge,andwhatisknowable.

.......

tatrashabdartha-jnana-vikalpaihsankirnasavitarka-samapattih(1:42)Furtherknowledgearriveswhenname,

form,andmeaningarejoined.

.......

smrti-parishuddhausvarupa-shunyevartha-matra-nirbhasanirvitarka(1:43)Whenwearefullypresentandnotcoloredby

ourmemories,theobjectormomentisunderstoodcompletely.

.......

etayaivasavicharanirvicharachasukshma-vishayavyakhayata(1:44)Examinationandinsightallowusto

understandsubtleobjectsinthesameway.

.......

sukshma-vishayatvamchalinga-paryavasanam(1:45)Totalabsorptionoccurswhenthere’snoname,form,or

meaninglefttoknow.

.......

taevasabijahsamadhih(1:46)Toachievethepreviousstatesofsamadhi,anobjectisused

asafocalpoint.

.......

nirvichara-vaisharadyedhyatma-prashadah(1:47)Inthenextstageofsamadhi,ourinnerlightguidesus.

.......

rtam-bharatatraprajna(1:48)Inthatstate,weliveintruth.

.......

shrutanumana-prajnabhyamanya-vishayavishesharthatvat(1:49)Thistruthisgreaterthanknowledgegainedfromstudy

orinference.

.......

taj-jah,samskaro’nya-samskara-pratibandhi(1:50)Thewisdomthat’sgainedinthisstateerasesallotherfalse

impressions.

.......

tasyapinirodhesarva-nirodhannirbijahsamadhih(1:51)Wheneventhetrueimpressionsaredormant,wehavethe

highestlevelofsamadhi.

IN THE PREVIOUS SUTRAS, Patanjali offers a variety of methods to establish areasonably clear and calm mind. Now, he closes the first book by telling usabout thedepthof focusand thepossibilities thatexistwhen themind iscalmandpeaceful.Heoffersaradicalandprofoundreminderofwhatwe’reworkingtoward:the

mind can become so clear and peaceful that painful thoughts will no longerdisturbus.Withpracticeandovertime,wewillhaveclarityofthought,internalquietness, steadiness, and ease. Our attention will become unshakable andunswerving.Wewillhaveprofoundjoy,gainvastknowledge,andawakenourintuition.Inthenextbook,Patanjaliexplainshowweactuallydothis—throughthepracticesofyoga,thegradualpracticeofworkinginward.

REFLECTION

Book one describes the ultimate and joyful statewe areworking toward.Patanjali tells us we will need to balance effort and ease, discipline andacceptance.Andheemphasizesthattheeffortanddisciplineshouldbedonewithjoy.Forus,joyisoneofthethemesofbookone.Withthatinmind,journal about what brings you joy.What about your practice brings youjoy?Howisthisprocessandthisjournalinghelpingyoutocultivatejoy?

BOOKTWO

SadhanaPada

WEDON’TEXPECT tohaveafluentconversationinaforeignlanguageafter justonemonthofstudy.Inthesameway,wecan’thurryself-realization.Weneedtounderstand the theory beforewe can do thework.After learningmany of theprinciplesofyoga inbookone,wemightbe readyandeager to jump into thespecificdisciplines,butitstilltakesPatanjalialmostthirtysutrastogetustherebecausewehavetounderstandappropriateaction.Takingonanewendeavor,whetherit’slearninganewlanguageorworking

touncoverourtruenature,canbedaunting.Therewillbechallenges,momentsofdoubt,frustration.Wewillhavetofaceandworkwithourmisperceptionsanddiscomfort.SoPatanjali spends the first half ofbook twopreparingus to staywith our discomfort and learning how to use it to our advantage. Once weunderstandthis,Patanjalisharesthepracticesofashtangayoga.Ashtangameanseight(ashta)limbsorrungs(anga).Itdescribesasystematic

discipline that helps us improve our relationship with the world, others, ourbody,mind,andspirit.Oftheeightlimbs,fivewillbeintroducedinthisbook.TounderstandwhyPatanjaliwouldwaittointroducethelastthreeuntilthethirdbookistounderstandthisbook’stitle:SadhanaPada.Sadhana means spiritual practice. It’s important to remember that spiritual

practice is not about religion at all, but about perceiving life as it truly is andconnecting with our inner divinity. Connecting with that divinity calls forexternaleffortandrefinement.Throughthiseffortandthepracticesofthefirstfivelimbs,wearriveatthelastthree,theonespurelyconcernedwiththeinternalworld.Book twobeginswitha reassuringnoteaboutyoga inaction:when therightactionsaretakentogether,wearecertaintosucceed.

CreaturesofHabit

tapah-svadhyayeshvara-pranidhananikriya-yogah(2:1)Yogainaction,orkriyayoga,isthepracticeofdiscipline,self-

study,andfaith.

.......

samadhi-bhavanarthahklesha-tanu-karanarthashcha(2:2)Throughthispractice,thecausesofpaindisappear;peace

andeasearegained.

ATTHEENDofthefirstchapter,welearnwhataclearandquietmindlookslikeandtheextraordinaryresults.Buildingonthatfoundation,Patanjaliexplainsthatwe can change our unhealthymental and emotional habits through discipline,self-study,andfaith.Thethreepractices,knownaskriyayoga,oryogaofaction,worktogetherandaretheseedsfromwhichtherestofourpracticegrows.Again, the ancient yogiswere ahead of their time. Patanjaliwas essentially

describing what research has now proven about habits. Our past experiencesserveasmentalguides,teachinguswhatbehaviorhasworkedornot,andinturncaneventuallyleadtohabitsoranautomaticresponsetoasituation.We developwhat scientists call the habit loop.A cue—time, place, person,

sound,smell—triggersamental,emotional,orphysicalbehaviorthatleadstoarewardorperceivedreward.Forexample,it’smorning(cue)soIbrushmyteeth(habit)andmymouthfeelsgood(reward),orI’mmeetingmyfriendKate(cue)for drinks (habit) and I’mbuzzingwith goodvibes from the conversation andcocktails(reward).Toencouragegoodpracticesandbreakbadhabits,researchersfoundweneed

to recognize the cues and routines (self-study) and make small incrementalchangesorsubstitutions(discipline).Tomakethehabitpermanentandpreventbacksliding,weneedfaith.“Forahabittostaychanged,peoplemustbelievethatchange is possible,” says Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit.

Through self-study, we allow for and recognize a new perspective. Throughfaith,weactuallyadoptthatnewperspectiveandcanlettheoldbehaviorsgo.While thehabit loopbothencouragesgoodpracticesandhelpsusbreakbad

ones,yogainaction(kriyayoga)isreallyaimedatthelatter.Thisentireprocessteachesus to lookatwhat is causinguspain.ThenPatanjali encouragesus toworkwith this discomfort and pain through self-study, discipline, and faith inordertohealandgrow.

REFLECTION

Name three things that you overlook, ignore, or avoid dealing with thatregularlycauseyoupain.Itcanbesituational,physical,oremotional.Whatarethepatternsorparallelsthatyounotice?

ObstacleCourse

avidyasmita-raga-dveshabhiniveshahkleshah(2:3)Misperception,identity,attachment,avoidance,andfear

causepain.avidyakshetramuttareshamprasupta-tanu-

vichchinnodaranam(2:4)

.......

Misperceptionistherootcauseofalltheobstaclesthatcausepain.

CONSIDERTHIStheGreenEggsandHamproblem.IntheDr.Seussclassic,Sam-I-Ampestershisfriendtotryaplateofgreeneggsandham.Thefriendrefuses,as he is certain about who he is and what he likes, even though he has noexperiencewithgreeneggsandham.He’sattachedtohisideaofwhathelikes,avoidseating thegreeneggsandhamatgreatcost,and isafraid tochangehismind. In theend,Sam-I-Amwinsout:his friend tries thegreeneggsandhamandlovesthem.The kleshas are these very self-imposed limitations we place on ourselves.

Classicallydefinedasafflictionsorobstacles,theyaretheroadblocksthatgetintheway,driveourbehavior, and lead to tendencies andhabits thatbecome soingrainedwe’reunawareofthem.Theselimitationsandroadblockskeepusfromexperiencinglifefullyandknowingourtrueself.Theyarethecauseofallourpainandsuffering.The five roadblocks are misperception (avidya), identity (asmita), desire

(raga),avoidance(dvesha),andfear(abhinivesha).Eachofthesewillbedefinedandelaboratedoninthenextseveralsutras.Webeginwithmisperception,asitistherootcauseofalltheotherroadblocks.When we hear the word ignorance (avidya), we think of education as the

antidote.Buthere,ignoranceisalackofknowledgeaboutourselves,notalack

ofcognitive,technical,orsocialskill.Itismisperception,misunderstanding,anddelusion about our true nature and potential. It’swhenwe believewe are ourmindandthoughts,ratherthanrealizingweusethemindtoexperiencelife.It’swhenwemakeassumptionsaboutothers.It’swhenweignoreourconnectiontothebroaderworldandtheunityineverything.Whenthismisperceptionandmisunderstandingtriggersourthoughts,words,

andactions,itlaysthefoundationfortheotherroadblocks.Frommisperception,webuildanillusionaryworldwhereweareoutofsyncwithourdeepestdesiresandhopes.Becausewe’reoutof syncwithour truenature,weonlydo thingsthatfitintowhowethinkweare.Welimitourexperiences.Welimitourselvesbybelievingweareourthoughts.Andwefearnewthingsandchangeitself.

anityashuchi-duhkhanatmasunityashuchi-sukhatma-khyatiravidya(2:5)

Confusingimpermanenceandpermanence,painandpleasure,truthanduntruth,aswellasouregofromourpotential,are

formsofmisperception.

You’velikelyheardtheSerenityPrayer,whichwasfirstsharedduringasermonin the1930s.Since that early invocation, it’spoppedup inworksasvariedasKurtVonnegut’sSlaughterhouse-Five toMacklemore’ssong“DrugDealer.”Itsays,“God,grantmetheserenitytoacceptthethingsIcannotchange,couragetochangethethingsIcan,andthewisdomtoknowthedifference.”Thissutraisallaboutthewisdomtoknowthedifference.Patanjalidescribesfourwayswearetrickedbythemind.

1.Wemistaketheimpermanentforthepermanent.Webelievehowthingsarenowishowtheywillalwaysbe.Wewillalways

have this house, friend, or job.We can’t livewithout our phone or that threeo’clockbiteofchocolate.Webelievewewillhavethesamevalues,preferences,likes,anddislikes.The biggest way this causes problems is by misunderstanding our own

mortality.Wehaveafundamentalmisconceptionabouttime.Wegetcaughtupinsearchingforthefountainofyouthinlotions,potions,andpills,orthinkwe’llalwayshave timeto takeup tapdancing,spendmore timewithourfriends,orwhateveritisthatbringsusjoy.

Whenwe remembernothing ispermanent,wecan fullyappreciate thegoodtimes—therelaxingretreatinCostaRica—soitupliftsandsustainsus.Andit’sa promise that the difficult timeswon’t last forever—the babywill eventuallysleepthroughthenight.

2.Wemistakethedelusionforthetruth.Classically,thisistranslatedasconfusingtheimpureforthepure,butthathas

holyandethicalconnotations.Thisisn’tamoraljudgment.Rather,it’smistakingtheimaginaryforthereal,thestoryforthefactual.It’swhenwecan’tseerealityasitisandwebelievetheillusion.It’swhenwe

stay in a yoga pose too long and ignore pain—we’re crunching our neck orcompressingourback.It’swhenwedon’tevenlookforanewjobbecausewedon’tbelievewecanleavethemiserableonewehave.It’sthefriendstuckinanabusiverelationshipwhobelievesherpartnerwhenhesays,Youcan’tleaveme;nooneelsewillloveyou.It’swhenweupholdthestoryratherthanconfrontthetruth.It’sdenial.

3.Weconfusepleasureandpain.What?We knowwhen something hurts, so how couldwe possibly confuse

pleasureandpain?It’ssurprisinglyeasy.Whenwechoosetheimmediatepleasureofahamburger,aNetflixbinge,or

casual sex without considering how we might feel after (sometimes good,sometimes not), we risk mistaking short-term pleasure for long-term pain.Sometimespleasureisthecauseofpain—Ireallywantedthispromotion,buttherealityofthedemands,travel,andnewbossareexcruciating.Sometimeswegetsofocusedonwhatwewantthatwecan’tseethatthewantiscausingpain.Forexample,we’vebeenworkingoncomingintoHeadstand.Wegetthereandourmind is satisfied,butwecollapse inour shoulders, riskhurtingourselves, andendupwithabruisedbodyandego.Pleasurecanbeapowerfuldistraction,butweneedtoreallyconsiderwhethersomethingnourishesourtrueselfinthelongterm.

4.Weconfuseourtrueself.We let other things—roles, belongings, labels, ideas—define us. As Tyler

DurdensaidinFightClub,“You’renotyourjob.You’renothowmuchmoneyyouhaveinthebank.You’renot thecaryoudrive.You’renot thecontentsofyourwallet.”

REFLECTION

What in your life is changing that you are excited about and embracing?Whatinyourlifeischangingthatyou’restrugglingtoaccept?

drg-darshana-shaktyorekatmatevasmita(2:6)Egolimitsusandcausespainwhenweconfuseouridentityand

truenature.

Not long after Amy’s son was born, Amy and her son’s father split up andeventuallydivorced.Shedreadedtellingotherpeople,particularly teachersandstudentsatherstudio.Shehadcreatedanimageinherheadofwhoshewasorneeded to be for her community—a strong, successful guide. Amy strived tomaintainherideaofwhattheperfectyogateacherandstudioownerlookedlike,fearedshewoulddisappointothers,anddeniedherselfthesupportfromthatverycommunity.Hermisperceptionthatifshefailedinhermarriage,shewouldfailasaguideandmentormeantshemissedouton thesupportsheneeded.WhenAmy began to share the truth, she was embraced and buoyed by friends,students,andteachers.Despiteherfears,adivorcedidnotchangethatshewas—andis—stillawonderfulteacherandyogi.Amy was blocked by asmita. Sometimes translated as ego, it is when we

identifywith the parts of us that change—our body, job title,marital status—ratherthanourtruenature.ItiswhatyogiMichaelStonecallsthe“I”maker—“Iamamom.Iamawriter.”Male. Female. Husband. Oldest. Gay. Straight. Yogi. Runner. Dog lover.

American.Writer. Chubby. Athletic. Blonde. Short. Foodie. Reader. Traveler.Strong. Weak. We all have labels. Some are given to us. Some we giveourselves.Thesecanbeimportantaspectsofwhoweare,butwhenwebelievetheselabelsfullydefineusorbecometooattachedtothem,wesetourselvesupfordisappointmentandsuffering.Weneedtorememberthereistheunchanging,trueselfthatisgreaterthanourappearance,achievements,andpassions.

REFLECTION

Listallofyour rolesand labels.Whichof thesebringyou joy?Whichoftheseareyouworkingtoupkeep?Whichofthesedictatehowyouleadyourlife?

sukhanushayiragah(2:7)Attachmentisseekingcontinualpleasureandwillcausepain.

We’repretty sure lifewon’tend ifAmybreaksher iPhoneorKelly skips thatglassof redwineat theendof thenight.Butwehate to thinkabout it.We’reattachedtocertainthingsandroutines.Thesutrasdon’t saywecan’tappreciateand findpleasure in the thingsand

experienceswehave.Whereweget trippedup iswhenwe’re attached (raga),whenwecling to things, long forexperiences, fear thatpleasurewill end, andsearchforhappinessoutsideofourselves.It’snotpleasurethat’saproblem;it’schasing after it.When we’re chasing anything, we’re not fully in the presentmoment.

REFLECTION

Lookatthelistoflabelsandrolesyoucreated(2:6).Whichoftheseareyouafraidtolose?Why?

duhkanushayidveshah(2:8)Aversioniswhenweavoidsituationsbecauseofpastpainful

experiences.Thisperpetuatessufferingandlimitsourpotential.

WewantouriPhonesoraglassofredwine,butwhatisitthatwedon’twant?Idon’twanttoberushed.Idon’twanttobalanceinWarrior3Pose.Idon’twantto eat that, go there, do this.Aversion (dvesha) is the flip side to attachment.Aversiongrowsout of believingour painful experiencewith something in thepastiswhatisgoingtohappenagain.Therearethingswepreferandotherswe’dliketoavoid.That’sOK.Patanjali

isn’tsayingyouchokedownsteamedbroccoliifyoureallydon’tlikeit.Rather,he’s suggesting aversion is problematic when we limit our experiences andtherefore ourselves because of it. For example, when we say I don’t likeShavasana,I’llleaveearly.Or,LasttimeIgaveapresentationitwasawfulandI’mneverdoingthatagain.Wegetcaughtupinthesetrainsofthoughtandaresoafraidoffacingthediscomfortthatwechangeourbehavior—wedon’tdoacertainyogaposeorwedon’tspeakup.

REFLECTION

What people, experiences, or situations do you regularly find yourselfavoiding?Why?Whenyou lookatyour listof roles and labels (2:6), arethere ones you need to put on to help you deal with these people,experiences,orsituations?Arethereonesyouavoidlettingthemsee?

svarasa-vahividusho’pitatharudho’bhiniveshah(2:9)Fearofdeath,loss,orchangecausespainineveryone.

Simplyput, abhinivesha is the fearofdeath.But it’snot just fearofdeath, oflosing the physical body. It’s fear of losing our identity, our way of life, ourlifestyle. More broadly, it’s fear of the unknown and fear of change. Fear isnatural.Fearbecomesaproblemwhenweclingtoawayoflifeoranidentity,whenwearesoafraidofchangethatwe’refrozen,stymied,stuck.Noticing when our fear is keeping us in our habit loop is the first step to

workingwithitinahealthyway.Aswepracticebeingmoreflexiblewitheachday’s events, we begin to have a healthier relationship with change andultimatelyletgooffear.

REFLECTION

What are you afraid of? How do you attempt to have control over this?Howdoesyourattemptatcontrolcauseyoupain?Forexample,Amyhadalwaysbeenafraidofrunningoutoftimetolive

an impactful life. To control that, she unconsciously jam-packed herscheduleinanattempttofeelaccomplished.Instead,shefeltoverwhelmed,exhausted, and completely disconnected. Once she recognized this habit,shetookaleaveofabsencetocreatethespacesheneededanddesired.

BreakingtheCycle

tepratiprasava-heyahsukshmah(2:10)Byeliminatingtheseafflictions,futurepain(karma)

disappearsatdeath.

ALL OF US have habits, andmost of us label them as good or bad. If we callsomethingabadhabit,weprobably think it’sunhealthyor it annoys someoneelse and they’ve told us it’s a bad habit. Some habits—even the ones weconsiderbad—haveservedusinsomeway.Forexample,weoversleep,makingus late for work, but it served us because we needed the rest. The habitdevelopedforareason.Manyofourhabitsgrowoutofourresponsetothekleshas,ouremotionaland

mental roadblocks. To diminish these emotional triggers and change ourtendencies,weneedtorecognizethem,understandwheretheycomefrom,andidentifyhowtheyworkwithinus.Wecandothisthroughmeditation.

REFLECTION

What’syour“worst”habit?Howdoesitconfineandlimityou?Whendiditstart?What do you get out of it?What are the consequences? Is it everpositive?

dhyana-heyastad-vrttayah(2:11)Meditationisthetoolforeliminatingtheseobstacles.

Throughmeditationwebecomeawareofhowweseeourselvesandwhatdrivesourdesires and fears.Throughmeditation,we removeour roadblocks and canchangeourhabits.

REFLECTION

The first step in developing ameditation practice is to establish a sittingpractice.Spendatleasttenminutessittingandjournalabouttheexperience.Here’showtosit.Begin by finding a position where you can sit comfortably, without

achingorfidgeting.Sittingonachairorleaningagainstawallmaybemorecomfortable. You can also use cushions and blankets under your knees,hips,orbacktokeepyourspinelong.Chooseapositionthatiscomfortableandsupportedinordertositforthedesiredtimewithease.Thesefirststepsreally focus on encouraging and establishing support and relaxation.Withouteither,movinginwardwilllikelyremainchallenging.After you’ve established a comfortable seat, close your eyes and find

yourcenter,shiftinguntilyourshouldersareoveryourhipsandthecrownofyourhead isalignedover thecenterofyourpelvis.Letyourbreathbenaturalandfree.Next,move your awareness fromyour feet to the crownof your head,

slowlyworkingtoreleaseanytension.Asyourelax,allowyourawarenessto rest on the simple sensation of your breath as it enters and exits yourbody. Let physical sensations and thoughts come and go in the samemanner.Relaxintothepresentmomentasanobserveroftheexperience.

klesha-mulahkarmashayodrshtadrshta-janma-vedaniyah(2:12)Theseafflictionsorobstaclescontinuebecauseofhabit.

.......

satimuletad-vipakojatyayur-bhogah(2:13)Untilweremovetheobstacles,habitcontinuestodictateourlife’sexperience.

.......

tehlada-paritapa-phalahpunyapunya-hetutvat(2:14)Ouractionsdeterminehowweexperienceeaseorpain.

.......

parinama-tapa-samskara-duhkhairguna-vrtti-virodhachchaduhkhamevasarvamvivekinah(2:15)Onewhoisdiscerningknowswesufferbecauseweareallsubjecttochange,longing,habit,andfluctuatingenergies.Understandingsufferingand

howtouseitforchangearrivesthroughdiscernment.

.......

heyamduhkhamanagatam(2:16)Throughdiscernment,wecanavoidkarmicpain.

Newton’s third lawofmotion says that for every action there is a reaction. Inyoga, the ideaofkarmaexpands this lawbeyond thephysical toour thoughts,words, and actions.At its simplest, karma is the lawof cause and effect.Ouractions have consequences, and these consequences either reduce or producepain.The lawofkarmasays thatourpast thoughts,words, andactionshelpedcreateourpresent life,andourcurrent thoughts,words,andactionswillcreateourfuture.Weareresponsibleforthequalityofourlives—happyorunhappy.Our unhappiness or suffering arises from change, longing, habit, and the

fluctuating energies in the body that can send us out of whack (hunger,exhaustion).Wecan’tavoidsufferingcompletelyuntilwegetridofallkarma.Throughdiscernmentandgoodjudgmentwebegintoreducethepaincausedbykarma. For example,when you get into an argumentwith your boyfriend andangrilyyellScrewyouasyoustompoutthedoor,youcreatekarmathatremainsuntiltheunderlyingissueisdealtwith.Facingtheissuehead-onischallenging,potentially painful in themoment, but it avoids the longer-lasting, future painfromthatkarmicaction.

REFLECTION

Describeasituation inwhichyou responded inawayyou later regretted.What about your response did you regret? How did this hurt you orsomeoneelse?Howdidyouorcouldyoumakeitright?

AMatterofPerspective

drashtr-drshyayohsamyogoheya-hetuh(2:17)Inordertoremovepainwemustlearntoseetheworld

objectively.

.......

prakasha-kriya-sthiti-shilambhutendriyatmakambhogapavargarthamdrshyam(2:18)Fulfillingourpurpose

andfindingeasearepossiblethroughobjectivity.

.......

visheshavishesa-linga-matralinganiguna-parvani(2:19)Althougheverythingisinaconstantstateofchange,the

samedivineenergyexistsineverything.

.......

drashtadrshi-matrahshuddho’pipratayayanupashyah(2:20)Ourunderstandingisbaseduponhowweperceiveour

experiences.

.......

tad-arthaevadrshyasyatma(2:21)Experiencesexisttodeepenourunderstandingandknowing.

.......

krtarthampratinashtamapyanashtamtad-anya-sadharanatvat(2:22)Theworldexistssothatwecanfulfill

ourpurpose.

.......

Sva-svami-shaktyohsvarupopalabdhi-hetuhsamyogah(2:23)Developingahigherawarenessofselfisthekeyto

experiencingourtruenature.

.......

tasyaheturavidya(2:24)Ourinabilitytodothatarisesfromthemisperceptionthatwe

areonlyourexperiences.

.......

tad-abhavatsamyogabhavohanamtad-drshehkaivalyam(2:25)Withoutthismisperception,werealizeourlifeismade

upofoureverydayexperienceandagreaterpurpose.

YOGAISANEXPLORATIONofperspective.Onaphysicallevel,wearetwistingandturningourbodyinwaysthatliterallyhelpusseethingsfromnewangles—suchaswithourfeetoverourheadinsteadofontheground.On a deeper level, we are expanding our idea of who we are. We’re

developing thepartofus thatcanstepback,observe thecurrent situation,andseethebroaderpicture.Wedothisbyunderstandingthedifferencebetweenoursubjectiveandobjectivereality.Oursubjectiverealityinformswhatwelike,ourdesires and preferences. Our friend just painted her bedroom yellow, and wethinkit’sugly.Butourobjectiverealityisbasedonfactandtruth—theroomisjustyellow.Whenwecandifferentiatebetweenourobjectiveandsubjectiverealities,we

begintobreakfromlimitingthoughtsandbehaviors.We’relessreactionarywithouremotions. Instead,weuseour thoughtsand feelings toproactivelyaddresspotentialproblemsandbuildrelationships,includingtheonewithourselves.Aswegaintheabilitytoseerealityobjectively,wecometounderstandthatallofourexperienceswerenecessaryformakingusthepersonwearetoday.

REFLECTION

What experiences have you had that, in the moment, you thought werenegativebutonreflectionshapedyouforthebetterandmadeyoustronger?What experiences are you struggling with now? What are you learningaboutyourselfthroughthem?

EyesWideOpen

viveka-khyatiraviplavahanopayah(2:26)Throughfocusanddiscernmentweunderstandthatweare

bothdivineawarenessandindividualexperiences.

.......

tasyasaptadhapranta-bhumihprajna(2:27)Wisdombecomesenlightenmentthroughdiscriminationand

study.

.......

yoganganushthanadashuddhi-kshayejnana-diptir-aviveka-khyateh(2:28)

Practicingtheeightlimbsofyogaremovestheobstaclesandtheresultingwisdomleadstoenlightenment.

.......

yama-niyamasana-pranayama-pratyahara-dharana-dhyana-samadhayoshtavangani(2:29)

Theeightlimbsaremadeofmoralcodesandobservances,aswellasphysical,emotional,energetic,andmental

disciplinestopurifyandsteadythemind.

THE WAY TO connect with our true self and not get caught up by the whims,desires,andfearsofoureverydayselfisthroughdiscernment(viveka).At its simplest, discernment is practicing good judgment. It’s observing

ourselves and the world around us so we can make clear, good, healthydecisions.Ithelpsusrecognizeandchooseactionsthatserveourtrue,innerself

ratherthangiveintoimmediatepleasures.Howdidweloseourtrueselfinthefirstplace?Meettheego.Wecreatethe

ego to help others understand our place in the world. It’s the part of us thatanswersthequestionWhoamI?Aswementioned,it’sthe“I-maker”—thewaywedescribeourselvestoothers.IamAmy.Iamalawyer.Iamabaseballfan.Weneed the I-maker, theego, tohelpusorganizeandnavigate life,butwhenwe’re defining who we are for other people, we can lose who we are forourselves.Yogaisboththegoalandthemeans.Throughdiscernmentweunderstandthe

differencebetweenourobjectiveandsubjectiverealitiesandthemindbecomesclear—thegoalofyoga.Wecan’tjustflipaswitchandturnondiscernment.Wework on it by practicing ashtanga yoga—the means. Ashtanga means eight(ashta)limbsorrungs(anga)anddescribesasystematicdisciplinethathelpsusimprove our relationship with the world, others, our body, mind, and spirit.Whenweclimbtherungsofaladder,wetakethingsonestepatatime.Limbsbranchoutofthesametreetrunk,growingatthesametimethoughnotalwaysatthe same rate.With these two interpretationsof anga,weunderstand the eightpractices can be done both successively and simultaneously. Each rung willcarryustothenext,butatthesametimewealsopracticeeachlimbasbestwecaninthepresentmoment.As we work the eight limbs of yoga, we experience deeper stages of

awakening and understanding. Eventually, through this practice, we willunderstandour trueself (purusha)andpurpose (dharma) soclearlywewillbefree from the things that hold us back and can live with ease, capable ofanything.

REFLECTION

Inwhatcircumstancesdoyoujudgeyourselfmostharshly?Whatdoesyourinnercriticsaytoyou?

TheOuterLimbs:Ready,Steady,Go

ahimsa-satyasteya-brahmacharyaparigrahayamah(2:30)Yoga’smoralcoderequiresnonviolence,honesty,non-

stealing,moderation,andgreedlessness.

.......

jati-desha-kala-samayanavachchinnahsarva-bhaumamaha-vratam(2:31)

Themoralcode,knownasthegreatvow,canbeusedbyanyoneandappliedtoallpeopleandsituationsregardlessof

class,circumstance,orability.

.......

shaucha-santosha-tapah-svadhyayesvara-pranidhananiniyamah(2:32)

Theyogicapproachrequirespurity,contentment,discipline,self-study,andfaithfulness.

THEANCIENTYOGISknewchangingourunderstandingofourselvesandtheworldwasnosimple task.Weneedastrongsupport systemandguidelines todoso.Theeight-limbedapproachisthatsystem.Theeightstagesdeliberatelyworkusfromtheoutsidetotheinside,focusingonourconnectionwiththeworldandourrelationshipwithothersbeforeturningtoourbody,mind,andspirit.Patanjalibeginswithauniversalcodeofconduct(yamas)forhowallpeople

should treat one another. The five yamas instruct us to avoid violence, lying,stealing,wastefulness,andgreed.Thenthesutrasadviseushowtotreatourselves(niyamas).Wearetokeepour

surroundings, body, and mind clean and clutter free. We are to practicecontentment,gratitude,andtheyogaofaction—discipline,self-study,andfaith.

Whenwedo,webecomereadytomoveinward.Together, people often think of the yamas and niyamas as the ten

commandmentsofyoga.Theyaretheethicalprecepts,thecorevaluesofyoga.They can be applied by anyone and to all situations regardless of age, status,place,ortime.Thepracticeofyogaisuniversalandinclusive.

REFLECTION

What’syourmoralcode?Listtenprinciplesyoutrytoliveby.

vitarka-badhanepratipaksha-bhavanam(2:33)Negativethoughtssubsidebyplacingattentiononpositive

thoughts.

.......

vitarkahimsadayahkrta-karitanumoditalobha-krodha-moha-purvakamrdu-madhyadhimatraduhkhajnanananta-phalaiti

pratipaksha-bhavanam(2:34)Greed,anger,andconfusioninthought,word,ordeedcreateviolence.Breakingthecycleofpainrequiresdiscernmentand

focusontheoppositequalities.

In reality, following the ethical code of conduct Patanjali lays out is quitedifficult.Butwecanchoosewherewedirectourattention.Forexample,you’reatworkpluggingawayona report anda coworker comesbywith aquestion.Youareabletodirectyourattentiontoyourcoworkerandanswerherquestion.Whenyou’redone,youcanchoosetogobacktoyourreport,takeasnackbreak,check e-mail, or thumb through the news. You are in control of where yourattentionandmindgoes.We can use this with our thoughts as well. When we are caught up in

negativity or anger, we can direct our attention to the opposite, to somethingmorepositive.We’renottryingtostopnegativethoughts;themindjustdoesn’tworkthatway.We’retryingtoreplacethemwithsomethingelse.Forexample,

assoonaswetellyounottothinkaboutawhitebear,it’salmostimpossibletoimagineanythingelse.Youneedtoreplaceitwithsomethingelse.Ifeverytimethewhitebearpopsintoyourhead,youimagineagreendog,youwilleventuallyavoidtheunwantedwhitebear.Inthesameway,wecan’teliminateournegativethoughts,butwecanreplacethemwithpositiveones.Patanjali asks us to cultivate the opposite, to replace anger with love and

compassion, violencewithpeace, griefwithgratitude, sadnesswithhappiness,fearwithtrust.Todothis,wemustfirstpayattentiontohowwefeelandthendetermine how to replace it with somethingmore positive. In the heat of themoment, sending puppies and rainbows to the guywho cut us off is farmoredifficultthansendinghimthebird,sothisremainsanongoingpracticeandeffort—justlikeworkingtoignorethatwhitebear.

REFLECTION

Calltomindsomeonewhoregularlyfrustrates,disappoints,orangersyou.Whathavetheybroughtintoyourlifethatyouaregratefulfor?Howhavethey brought you happiness? In what ways can you be grateful,compassionate,andpeacefulwiththem?

TheFirstLimb:CoreCode

ahimsa-pratishthayamtat-sannidhauvaira-tyagah(2:35)Allviolenceceasestoexistinthecompanyofonewhohas

masterednonviolence.

THINKABOUTthelasttimeyougotangry,reallyangry,$%#kindofangry.Yourheartrateprobablypickedup.Youmighthavefeltalittletightnessinyourchest.Part of your brain known as the amygdala kicked in and started pumping outchemicals that kicked up your blood pressure, made your cheeks flush, andcausedyourhandstoshake.Wedon’ttypicallythinkofthisasviolence.Usuallywhenviolencecomesto

mind, we think about easily seen and understood forms of physical harminflicted on others—war, fighting.We overlook the subtler forms of violence,thewayswehurtothersandourselves—thejudgmentalquip,thesnarkyeyeroll,theself-deprecatingthoughts.Ifwewantapeacefullife,thefirstcorevalueinourethicalcoderequiresusto

practice nonviolence (ahimsa) in all aspects of life—our actions, words, andeven our thoughts. When our thoughts contain seeds of jealousy,disappointment, resentment, guilt, anger, or shame, hurtful behavior blooms,grows,andspreadslikeaweed,stranglingouteverythingelse.Practicing ahimsa startswithourselves.Whenweeat toomuch,don’t sleep

enough, stay in an unhealthy relationship, push through another ChaturangaDandanasana, keep our schedules jammed, look in themirror and thinkwe’refat, we are angry and aggressive with ourselves. We are creating a harmfulenvironment for ourselves. Ifwemaster our own negativity, our thoughts andactionswillfollow.There’s a quote attributed to Buddha that floats around the Internet that

probablyisnothisbutperfectlyexplainstheimportanceofahimsa:Thethoughtmanifestsasword;thewordmanifestsasdeed;thedeeddevelopsintohabit;andhabithardensintocharacter.Sowatchthethoughtanditswayswithcare,andlet

itspringfromlovebornoutofconcernforallbeings….Aswethink,webecome.

REFLECTION

What critical, judgmental things do you regularly tell yourself? Whatencouraging,lovingthingsdoyouregularlytellyourself?

satya-pratishthayamkriya-phalashrayatvam(2:36)Whenwespeakandlivetruthfully,whatwesayanddo

manifests.

BernieMadoff. RichardNixon.WalterWhite.Wemostly think about the bigstuffwhenwethinkaboutlies.Truthfulness (satya) certainly encompasses honesty, but it also includes

integritytoourselves,life,andourtruespirit.Whenwearetruthful—whenourthoughts,words,andactionsareconsistent—goodthingswillhappen.Whataboutwhenhonestycausesharm?Doesmomreallyneedtoknowyou

don’t love that striped sweater?Thatdependsona lot.Did sheask?Does shewantorneedyouropinion?Ourethicalcodedoesn’tliveinabubble.Wemustalways consider our motivation when speaking the truth. We also need toconsidertruthfulnessinthecontextofthesituation,theotherperson’sinterestinhonesty, and with the other precepts (yamas). There’s a reason the first isnonviolence.Ifthetruthcausesharm,itdoesn’tupholdahimsa.Practicing satya isn’t about blindly telling the truth regardless of the

consequence.InTheFourAgreements,donMiguelRuizwrites thatweshouldbeimpeccablewithourword.“Thewordisthemostpowerfultoolyouhaveasahuman;itisthetoolofmagic,”writesRuiz,whosayswecanuseourwordstocauseloveorharm.“Whatyoudream,whatyoufeel,andwhatyoureallyare,willallbemanifestedthroughtheword.”Beinghonestwithourselvesis trickier,butthat ishowwecreatethelifewe

want.Patanjali tellsusthatwemanifestwhatwesayandthink.Wecan’thavewhatwewantifwedon’tknowwhatitis,ifwe’renotdeeplyhonestaboutourhopesanddreams,orifouractionscontradictourthoughtsandwords.Eventhe

smallcontradictions—knowingweneedadayoffbutacceptingtheovertime—keepusfrommanifestingwhatitiswereallywant.

REFLECTION

Inwhatsituationsdoyounoticethatyouractionsareinconsistentwithyourthoughtsorfeelings?Whoorwhatareyouprotecting?

asteya-pratishthayamsarva-ratnopasthanam(2:37)Thepracticeofnon-stealingcreatesabundanceandprosperity.

It’s hard not to like TomRipley, especiallywhen played by six-pack-rockingMattDamon.He’scharming,polite,hardworking, eager toplease.He’salsoacon man, imposter, and cold-blooded murderer. In The Talented Mr. Ripley,TomisanorphanedpianotunerandwashroomattendantwhoismistakenbyawealthybusinessmanasthePrincetonpalofhisromping-through-Italyson.ThefatherhiresTom,whonevercorrectsthemistake,togotoEuropeandbringhisson home. The adventure leads Tom to steal money, the son’s identity, andeventuallyhislife.PartofwhatmakesTomlikeableandeasytoempathizewithisthat,asonecriticputit,“he’sdeprivednotdepraved.”Peoplesteal,studiesshow,becausetheyfeeldeprived.Whenwefeeldeprived

wetrytomakeitright,andthatmakesiteasiertorationalizeourbehavior.It’seasiertosayIneedthis.Ideservethis.ButPatanjalisaystheoppositeistrue:Ifwedon’ttakewhatisn’tours(asteya),wewillflourish.Classically,asteya is translated asnon-stealing, and the sutra sayswhenwe

practice non-stealing, all wealth comes. On the surface, it means not takingmoneyorthingsfromsomeone,andcoverseverythingfromholdingupbankstosnaggingayogurtfromtheofficefridgetooverbillingforworkyoudid.Onadeeperlevel,itgoesfarbeyondmaterialobjects.It’stakingideas,love,

attention, and time that isn’t freely given.We steal from ourselves when wedon’t express our needs anddeprive ourselves of help.We rob others of theirtimewhenwe’re late tomeet them.We let ourmind steal us away from thepresentmoment,fromthefullexperience.

We feel deprived. We believe we’re not good enough, that something ismissing, so we take it from others. If we feel deprived, nothing comes.Abundance,whenwehavesomuchofsomethingthatwehavenowantorneedfor it, is the opposite of deprivation.Whenwe look at how our lives are fullinstead of what they are lacking, when we believe we are enough and haveenough,wehavenoneed to steal.We recognize the fullnessof our lives.Weflourish.Andallwealthcomes.

REFLECTION

Whatdoyoufeeldeprivedof?Whatdoyoufeelyouhaveinabundance?

brahmacharya-pratishthayamvirya-labhah(2:38)Strengthandvitalitycometothosewhousetheirenergyforthe

greatestgood.

This sutra has a dirty reputation, and not the soap-and-water-solves-thingsvariation.Solet’scorrecttherecord:thissutraisnotsolelyaboutsex.In its true translation, the sutra says that when we are abstinent

(brahmacharya),wecultivatepower,strength,andenergy.Theideawasthatifwewereabstinentwewouldn’twastetimeandenergy;wewouldmaintainourfocus on the present moment. Today we take a broader interpretation thatincludesmoderationinthought,word,andaction.Forus,brahmacharyaisaboutusingourenergywiselytodevelopabalanced

life.It’ssharpeningthesaw.StephenCovey,inThe7HabitsofHighlyEffectivePeople, writes about a woodcutter who uses the same saw for several days,letting it become dull and difficult to use. The solution, of course, is for thewoodcuttertostop,sharpen,andcareforthesaw.Ifwedon’tcareforourselves,webecomedulllikethesaw.Wemakeitmore

difficulttotacklethetaskathand.Weneedbothworkandplay,effortandease,theinhaleandexhale,sayingyesandno.Whenwehavebalanceinourphysical,emotional,social,andmentallives,weavoidburnoutandareeasilysustained.This ismore than just avoiding burnout. Themost literal translation of the

sutra says we must act with the divine in mind. It’s requiring us to use ourenergyandpowerforthegreatergood.Wecanallcalltomindsomeonewhohasabused their position of power.With brahmacharya as our guide, we learn tomakechoicesthatcreatebalanceinourpersonallifeandencourageustousetheresultingpowerinourapproachtothebroaderworld.

REFLECTION

Makealistofeverythingyou’dliketosaynoto.Makealistofeverythingyou’dliketosayyesto.

aparigraha-sthairyejanma-kathantasambodhah(2:39)Whenwedon’twantforwhatwedon’thave,weunderstandour

truepurpose.

Ifyou’renotoneofthefifteenmillionpeoplewhohavewatchedShawnAchor’sTEDTalkonthehappysecrettobetterwork,cueitupandhitplay.We’llstillbehere.If Iworkharder, I’llbesuccessful. If I’msuccessful, I’llbehappier.This is

howmostofusthink.WhenIhavethis,whenIachievethis,Iwillbehappy.Butoftenwhenwedogetwhatwe’vebeenstrivingfor,wemovethegoalposts.Weget caught in a cycle of wanting for things, for accomplishments, forexperiences.It turns out, as Achor and other researchers have found, our mind actually

works the oppositeway. Ifwe are content and positive in the present,we aremorelikelytoreachourgoals.Thehappinessadvantagegivesustheedge.Ourbrainsperformbetter.We’remorecreative,productive, and resilient.Wehavemoreenergy.We’relesslikelytoburnout.Thissutraistheyogi’shappinessadvantage.Whenwedon’twantforwhatwe

don’thave—greed,longing,aparigraha—weunderstandourtruepurpose.Whatsciencehassincediscoveredisthatwecantrainourbrainstobemorepositiveinthe present by focusing onwhat we do have.We can cultivate the happinessadvantagebycultivatinggratitude.

REFLECTION

To cultivate the happiness advantage,Achor suggestswriting down threethings that you’re grateful for in the last twenty-four hours for the nextthirtydays.Tryit.

TheSecondLimb:OurBehavioralBackbone

shauchatsvanga-jugupsaparairasamsargah(2:40)Throughpurificationwenaturallyavoidtoxiccontactwith

others.

THE INTERNET isclutteredwithdetoxdiets thatpromisetohelpusloseweight,clearourskin,boostenergy,andmore.Onegoalofahealthydetoxistoidentifyand eliminate foods that may be causing some kind of reaction such assluggishness or inflammation.We remove the potential toxin to understand ifwe’resensitivetoit.Thisisthestartofshaucha,orpurificationandcleanliness.Patanjaliexplains

that thepurificationprocessallowsus tobecomeawareofwhat is toxicsoweknow what to avoid and discard. Eventually, we become so sensitive tonegativitywe naturally begin to avoid toxic people, foods, environments, andthoughts.We’re ridding ourselves of the stuff that threatens ourwell-being—overspending,cigarettes,theenergy-suckingfriend.Thisisn’tabouttryingtobeacertainwaybutratherstrippingawaythejunk

sowe can bewhowe really are. “We don’t have to try to be different,” saysyoga teacher and author Judith Lasater. “The biggest mistake we make inspiritualpracticeisbelievingthatwehavetobedifferentthanfromhowweare.Purityisconsistentandlovingintentiontoacceptourinherentgoodness.”The sutras tell us the divine liveswithin eachof us, and shauchawipes the

smudgesofftheglasssothisinnerlightcanshinebrightly.

REFLECTION

Make a list of things you feel are toxic to you—people, foods,environments, and thoughts are possibilities. Choose one and outline apractice you can commit to that details how you are going to reduce or

eliminateexposuretothetoxinandforhowlong.Followyourprescriptionandjournalabouttheexperience.

sattva-shuddhi-saumanasyaikagryendriya-jayatma-darshanayogyatvanicha(2:41)

Additionally,themindbecomespure,positive,andone-pointed.Thesensesquietandwebecomereadytoexperienceourtrue

nature.

In hermega-best-selling bookThe Life-ChangingMagic of TidyingUp, cleanqueenMarieKondo suggestsholdingupevery item inyourhomeandasking,“Doesthissparkjoy?”Iftheanswerisyes,yougettokeepit.If theanswerisno, out it goes. Kondo-izing your life essentially means applying shaucha:cleanlinesscreatescheerfulness.Think about how you feelwhen your house is clean or you’ve taken a hot

shower after a sweaty yoga class. Shaucha also encourages us to eatwell, getenough sleep, move, and be kind to our bodies in a way that supports ourinternalwell-being.Onadeeper level,wecancleanour thoughts,words,andactions justaswe

would clean out our closet. We can look at the thought and ask the samequestion: Does this spark joy? Doing so helps us declutter our thoughts bysweepingawaytheinnerpollution,theself-criticism,thejudgment,theI’m-not-good-enoughnegativity.Wespruceupourwordsbythrowingawaythegossip,sarcasm,blame,andanger.Andwestraightenupouractionsbytossingouttheroad rage, thedoor slamming, the storming-offmoments.And aswe cleanupourthoughts,ourwordsandactionswillfollow.Atitssimplest,shauchaencouragesustotakecareofourmindandbodyso

ourspiritcanbelightandcheerful,soitcansparkjoy.

REFLECTION

Whatdoesitmeantotakecareofyourself?Howdoyoudothat?Howcanyoubetternurtureyourself?

santoshadanuttamahsukha-labhah(2:42)Truejoyarrivesthroughcontentment.

Whenpsychologistsbeganstudyinghappinessinthe1980sand1990s,theygavetheirresearchsubjectspagers,andwhenevertheywentofftheyweretojotdownhowhappy theywereona scaleofone to tenandwhathadbeengoingon tomake them feel thatway.After collecting thousands of responses, they foundthat pretty much everyone wrote down a seven regardless of what they weredoing—grocery shopping, attending their kid’s soccer game.When bad thingshappened—someonewassickorgoingthroughadivorce—theratingwoulddiptobetweentwoandfivebuteventuallypopbackuptoseven.Whengoodthingshappened—anewjob,avacation—theratingwouldgetaboostbuteventuallysettlebackdowntoaseven.Thisconstantsevenmostofusliveattoyswithus.Wethink,IfIcouldhave

thisordothis,IwouldgettoatenandI’dstaythere.Wechasetheimpossible-to-have-all-the-time ten. Psychologists call this the hedonic treadmill becausewe’rerunningaftersomethingonlytoendupinthesameplace.Patanjalisaysifwepracticecontentment(santosha),acceptingwhereweare

rightnowandunderstandingthingswillchange,wewill findjoy.Ifweacceptwe’reatasevenmostofthetimeandrememberthetwosandthetenswillpass,we’llendourconstantpursuit.Thisdoesn’tmeanweshouldditchourgoalsorstop trying to improveourselvesorour lives.Rather, it invitesus toenjoy thejourney,toliveinandappreciatethepresentmoment.Sohowdowecultivatecontentment?Sciencehasbeenlookingintothattoo.

Gratitude. We talked about how gratitude can train our brains to be morepositiveinthepresent,andit’sonewaytogetusoffthehedonictreadmill.

Relationships.Oneof thefewexternalfactors thatchangescontentment levels,according to social research, is our relationships.Whenwe’re in constantpursuit,it’seasytogiveourtime,energy,andattentiontothechaseinsteadofourfriendsandfamily.Shiftingourfocustothepeopleinourliveshelpsuscultivatecontentment.

Purpose. We can cultivate contentment by living a purposeful life—one thatreflectsourvalues,allowsus touseour skillsandmakeacontribution in

someway.Thiscanbeatrickyonetofigureout,sohereareafewwritingpromptstogetyoustarted.

REFLECTION

What’simportanttoyou?Listasmanythingsascometomind.Prioritizethem.Circleyourtopfive.Whatskillsdoyouhave?Listasmanyskillsascometomindandallow

themtobebotheverydaythingslikecookingtobroaderskillslikeproblemsolving.Whichoftheseskillssupportswhat’simportanttoyou?

kayendriya-siddhirashuddhi-kshayattapasah(2:43)Throughcommitteddisciplineweremoveimpuritiesand

strengthenourpersonalpower.

Peoplealmostalwayscome toyoga tochangesomething.Thespecificchangemaybe different—stress levels, back pain, flexibility—butwewant to changesomething. Earlier (in 2:2), we talked about how we can change throughdiscipline, self-study, and faith. The three practices, known as kriya yoga oryogaofaction,worktogethertohelpusbreakthehabitloopandeffectchange.Discipline(tapas)essentiallyasksustofocusonthelong-termratherthanour

immediatedesires,impulses,andinstantgratification.Thisisn’teasy,andtapasliterallymeanstoburnortopurifywithheat.Whenweburn—whetherit’sourthighs burning in Chair Pose or emotional burnout—it hurts. But if we canaccept the temporary, short-termdiscomfort,we build the strength to hold theposeorwemeltawaythehabitsthatcausedouremotionalburnout.This isn’t an invitation to seek out pain. It’s learning to endure healthy

discomfortsowecanstretchandstrengthenourmental,emotional,andphysicalself.Oftenwe talk about our edge in class.Tapas is understandingwhere ouredgeis,beingcomfortablepushingrightuptoit,buthavingthewisdomtonotfalloffthecliff.Ifwepushtoofarandfalloffthecliff,we’llabandonourgoals.Butifweareslow,consistent,patient,comfortablewiththeeffortrequired,we’ll

makethechange.Partofwhatmakeschangepainful isourall-or-nothingapproach.I’mgoing

tolosetwentypoundsbytakingupaseven-day-a-weekworkoutplanandcuttingoutsugar,carbs,andalcohol.It’stoomuch,toodifficult,toopainfultomaintain.Lastingchangeisslowandconsistent.DaveBrailsford isamodern-daymasterat slow,consistentchange. In2010

Brailsford took on coaching Great Britain’s professional cycling team. Hebelievedifhecouldimproveeveryaspectofcycling—theriders’nutrition, theweightofthetires,thetypeofmassagegel,thepillowtheridersslepton—by1percent,theywouldimproveovertimeandbeabletowintheTourdeFranceinfive years. Theywon in three years, repeated thewin the following year, andtookhomeawholelotofgoldinthe2012Olympics.Oursuccesses in lifearen’tsingleevents.Theyare theresultofmanysmall

decisionsfollowedbysimpledisciplineswepracticeeveryday.

REFLECTION

Goall thewaybacktosutra1:12andlookatyourlistofgoals.Decideifthese are still relevant. If not, write down a few new ones. They can bephysical,personal,career-oriented.Circleyour top threeandwritea first-stageplanforonesmallactionyoucouldtaketowardthesegoals.Chooseone of your goals, follow the plan for the week, and journal about theexperience.

svadhyayadishta-devata-samprayogah(2:44)Contemplationandself-studyconnectustotheinnerdivine.

SusanneBargmannisaDanishpsychologistwhoalwaysdreamedofbeltingouttuneslikeWhitneyHouston.Inherfortiesshedecidedtogiveitago,totrytoimprovehersinging.Shestartedusingakaraokeprogramsoshecouldhearwhatshesoundedlike,sheeventuallyfoundavocalcoachtogiveherfeedbackandguidance,andshecommittedtopracticinganhouraday.Afterayearandahalfshemadeenoughimprovementthatshestartedtowriteherownsongsandtrainwith other singers. She spent another six months reviewing her work beforerecordingafewsongs.Bargmannpracticed,reflectedonherwork,listenedtoexternalfeedback,and

adjustedherpracticeuntilsheimprovedtosuchapointthatseveralofhersongsgot regular airplay on the pop stations in Denmark. She combined discipline(tapas)andreflection(svadhyaya)inordertomakethishappen.Themoralofthestory?Practicedoesn’tmakeperfect,butdeliberatepractice

gets us to yogic perfection, which is living to our full potential. Deliberatepracticeismorethansimplyrepeatingatask.It’saddingalevelofanalysisandfeedback so we can correct our path and continue to grow. It’s not lettingourselves slip into autopilot. It’s continually reflectingonwhatever it iswe’re

working to improve—whether it’s singing likeWhitney, remaining in PigeonPose,orbuildinganewcareer.

REFLECTION

Self-study isdesigned tohelpus recognizeour strengthsanduncoverourweaknesses. This requires a deep level of honest reflection becauseacknowledging our weaknesses is tough. However, in uncovering ourweaknesses and accepting them,we canuseour strengthsmore fully andformidably.Ashonestlyasyoucan,listyourstrengthsandweaknesses.Choosesomeoneyoutrustandwhoknowsyouwellandaskthemtolist

yourstrengthsandweaknesses.Whatsurprisesyou?Whatmakesyoufeelgood?Arethereanyyoudon’tagreewith?Now,compareyourlistandtheirsandnoteallthedescriptorsyouhave

incommon.Whatdoyounotice?

samadhi-siddhirishvara-pranidhanat(2:45)Throughfaithandtrustfulsurrendertotheunknowndivinewe

findeaseandjoy.

What if Idon’t succeed?What if somethinggoeswrong?What ifpeopledon’tlikemyidea?Whatifshedoesn’tlikeme?We all deal with that trifling voice in our head, the one that says I can’t

instead of of course I will. We all deal with vulnerability, uncertainty, andfailure,whichiswhythissutraremindsustopracticehavingfaithinourdivinepotential, our true self. It’s learning to trust our intuition even when intellectwants toreignsupreme.Forexample,whenour intellectsaysYou’ve tried thisthreetimes,whykeepgoing?faithleadsustofindanotherway.When we don’t believe in our goals, our minds are clouded with fear and

anxiety.Itmakesitdifficulttoseeopportunities,tofindcreativesolutions,andtopersist. Ifdeepdown,wedon’tbelieve inourgoals, thenwhyevenbother?Whenwebelieve,we’remorelikelytosearchforsolutionsthatworkinsteadofreasonssomethingwon’t.We’relesslikelytolimitourselvestotheopportunities

infrontofus.Thevoicewill still be there.The self-doubtmight still knockusdown.But

eventhoughwehavedoubt,weworktocultivateunshakablefaithinourselves.Faith (ishvarapranidhana) isourwillingness,despiteuncertainty in the result,togetupagainandagain.Herearethreepromptstohelpyouup,toboostyourfaith.

REFLECTION

Identify your doubts. List all theways you tell yourself no and come upwithresponses.Forexample,ifyoucatchyourselfsayingIcan’tquietmymindformeditation,yournewresponsewouldbeIcan’tquietmymindformeditation yet. If you catch yourself thinkingWhat if I fail at this jobinterview,yourresponsemightbeI’lltryagain.Tuneout thenaysayers.Weallhave—orhad—people inour liveswho

arequick to sayno,who shootdown ideas.Whenwe surroundourselveswithpeoplewhosayyes,whosupportus,wegetaconfidenceboost.Listthecheerleadersinyourlife.Think about your successes. Spend the nextweek counting yourwins.

Eachnight,journalaboutthatday’ssuccesses.

TheThirdLimb:TakeaSeat

sthira-sukhamasanam(2:46)Posturesshouldbepracticedwithsteadinessandease.

OUR POP CULTURE vision of yoga typically involves Cirque du Soleil–likeacrobatics,butPatanjalispendsjustthreesutras—lessthan2percentofthebook—onthephysicalportionofyoga(asana).Here,heexplainsthatasanaissimplyanypostureperformedwithsteadinessandease.If this seems like a simple definition, remember how difficult it can be to

practice Crow Pose or even Shavasana.When we approach even challengingpostureswithease,theyeventuallybecomesteady.AndifwecanremainsteadyinMountainPoseandresisttheitchynose,thedesiretofidget,therednumbersontheclock,wehavepreparedourselvestotakeourpracticeoffthemat.Whenwehavethateaseandsteadinessinourphysicalpractice,webegintocultivatethose same qualities in business meetings, in our relationships, and withourselves. And it strengthens and stabilizes the body formeditation—the truepurposebehindthepostures.Consistency and balance are two keys to finding ease and steadiness. We

won’t find steadiness unless we are consistent in our practice. And balancebetweenworkandrestgivesournervoussystemachancetorecoverandallowsustogrowinourphysicalpracticewithoutsubjectingourselvestoinjury.

REFLECTION

Whatisyourfavoritepose?Howdoesitmakeyoufeel?What’syourleastfavoritepose?Howdoesitmakeyoufeel?Practice the pose you dislike every day for seven dayswith steadiness

andeaseinmind.Considerhowyoumighthavetomodifythepose.Whatfeelingsarise?Whatchanges?

prayatna-shaithilyananta-samapattibhyam(2:47)Theposturesaremasteredwhenwelessenourtensionand

focusontheinfinitedivine.

.......

tatodvandvanabhighatah(2:48)Throughthisapproachevenmentalandemotionaltensions

disappear.

We can find ease and steadiness in our physical practice, says Patanjali, byfocusingonsomethingimportant,somethingsignificant.Ultimately,ourpointoffocusbecomesthedivine.Forsomeofus,focusingonthedivineseemsoutofreachandesoteric.Thisis

why we’re often invited to set an intention at the start of class. It helps uscultivateapointoffocus.Anintentionismeanttobetheinitialfocus,thethingwebringourmindbacktowhenourthighsshakeinChairPosesowecaneaseourtensionandworkthroughthediscomfort.It’smeanttosupportourpracticeandcarryusthroughsowecanfindeaseandsteadinessonandoffthemat.Anintentionholdsourattentioninordertosupportourgoal.Itisnotafuture-

orientedaspirationbutsomethingtokeepusinthepresent.Itdoesn’taimtofixsomethingwethinkiswrongwithourselves.Itisn’tsomethingthatweneedtomakehappenorworrywewon’taccomplish.Anintentioncanbeassimpleasaword,butitissomethingthatembodiesandrepresentsourvalues.

Ourgoalmaybetolosetwentypounds.Ourintentionistobehealthy.Ourgoalmaybetofindanewjob.Ourintentionissuccess.Ourgoalmaybetostartdating.Ourintentionislove.

REFLECTION

All too often we approach our goals as things we should do. We placedemandsonourselvesandothersthatkeepusrigidlyconstrained.Whatarethedemandsyouplaceonyourself?WhatdoyousayIshouldabout?

Earlier(1:12and2:43),wejournaledaboutourgoals.Revisitthesegoalsandconsiderchanginganythatareplacingunreasonabledemandsonyou.Once you’ve reviewed and changed any goals, define and describe theunderlyingintention.Distilltheintentiontoasingleword.Forinstance,inour last exampleaboveondating, thewordwouldbe love.Over thenextweek,whenyoufindyourselftenseandunsteady,calltomindthatsingularword,yourintention.Journalabouttheexperience.Is itdifficult?Howdoyoukeepthewordaccessible?Doesfocusingonithelp?Howdoyoufeel?

TheFourthLimb:BreatheEasy

tasminsatishvasa-prashvasayorgati-vichchedahpranayamah(2:49)

Astheposturesaremastered,controllingthebreathbeginstofurtherbalanceemotionalandmentalenergy.

.......

bahyabhyantara-stambha-vrttih-desha-kala-sankhyabhihparidrshtodirgha-sukshmah(2:50)

Theinhale,exhale,andthespacebetweenbreathscanbemodifiedbylengthandduration.

Thisispranayama.

.......

bahyabhyantara-vishayakshepichaturthah(2:51)Asaresultofthispractice,weexperienceamoresubtle,

effortlesstypeofpranayama.

.......

tatahkshiyateprakashavaranam(2:52)Asthisstillnessarises,theobstaclesfallawayandwe

expandourawarenessofself.

.......

dharanasuchayogyatamanasah(2:53)Thenthemindisreadyforconcentration.

MOSTOFUSdon’tgivemuchthoughttoourbreath—in,out,in,out—untilthere’s

aproblem.Pranayama,whichtranslatesasvitallifeforce(prana)andrestraint(yama), is essentially the practice of controlling the breath. By exercising ourbreath, we can break unconscious breathing patterns and bring the ease andsteadinesswefindinourphysicalpracticeinward.Thefolkwisdombehind“takeadeepbreathandcounttoten”hassomesolid

sciencebehind it.Tounderstandwhy, let’s takeaquick lookat theautonomicnervoussystem.The autonomic nervous system has two branches: the sympathetic and the

parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic nervous system is alwaysworking to get everyday tasks done and, in small doses, is essential. Thesympatheticnervoussystemalsohelpsusrespondtodangerorstress,andinsodoing stimulates our fight-or-flight response, causing all sorts of physicalreactions including an acceleration of the heart rate, constriction of bloodvessels, and a rise in bloodpressure.Theparasympathetic nervous system, onthe other hand, controls our rest-and-digest functions. It helps us recoup fromstressandcontrolsactivitiesthathappenwhenwe’recalm.The autonomic nervous system connects to a variety of other physical

processes including those of the cardiovascular, digestive, sexual, andrespiratorysystems.Therespiratorysystemistheonlyonewecandirectlyandconsciously control, and it’s why yogis and a growing number of researchersbelievebreathingexercisescanhavesuchanimpactonourhealth.Thinkabouthowourbreathchangeswhenwe’rehappy,relaxed,angry,sad,

or stressed. When we’re happy and relaxed, our breath is long and smooth.Whenwe’reangry,webreatherapidly.Whenwe’reafraid,ourbreathisshallow.Sometimesweholdourbreath.Sometimesit’serratic.One study found that changing our breathing pattern—from deep, belly

breathstoshallowbreathsorviceversa—couldbringontheassociatedemotion.This means that changing our breathing patterns can help us regulate ouremotions.Otherstudiesshowthetrickle-upeffectthebodyandourbreathhaveonthemind:researchhasshownbreathingpracticescancalmusdown,reduceanxiety,decreasedepression,andlowerstress.Ultimately,pranayama,thefourthlimboftheashtangasystem,isthecontrol

anddirectionofallsubtlelifeforceandleadstoprana-ayama,theexpansionandextensionof this lifeforce.Thebreath issimplythewayin.Themindfollowsthebreath.Whenthebreath iseasyandsteady, itcreates thesameopportunityforthemind.Atthispoint,wehavetheabilitytofocusandconcentrate,thenext

limbor stage inourpractice.Eventually,weare so steady that thebreath andmindarestillandclear.

REFLECTION

The sutras describe the parts of the breath—inhalation, exhalation, andretention. Although Patanjali doesn’t list specific ways to breathe, otheryogictextsdetailhundredsofbreathingpracticeswithvaryinglengthsandpatterns.Eachoneoffersadifferentbenefit,justasdifferentpostureshavedifferent effects. The one prescribed to begin a meditation practiceencouragesalengthenedexhale.Try this: inhale for two counts and exhale for four. When you can

continue with ease, inhale for three and exhale for five. When that’scomfortable, inhale for four and exhale for six. Do this for three to fiveminutes.Howdoyoufeel?Isitmanageable?Couldyoucontinue?Dothisasaformalpracticeforaweekandjournalabouthowyoufeel

after each session. Throughout the week, whenever you feel unsteady,agitated,ortense,takeafewcyclesandnotehowyoufeel.

TheFifthLimb:Quiet,Please

svavishayasamprayogechittasyasvarupanukaraivendriyanampratyaharah(2:54)Next,thesensesare

directedtofocusinwardlyandontheminditself.

.......

tatahparamavashyatendriyanam(2:55)Thenthesensesarecontrolledandinternalfocusarrives.

HAVEYOUEVERbeenlyinginShavasanaandgottendistractedbythesoundofabusrollingby,thesmelloffreshcroissantsfromthebakerynextdoor,thecooltickleofthebreezefromafan?Whenwehavesteadiedthebreathtothepointwherewecanturnoursensesin,tonotbedistractedbythesights,sounds,andsmellsaroundus,wehaveachievedpratyahara(turningthesensesinward),thefifthlimbofyoga.We’renotshuttingoffthesenses;we’relettingthemrest.Alldaythesensesarealiveandactive,feedingusinformationandguidingthemind.With pratyahara, the mind guides the senses. The bus still makes noise, thecroissants still give a sweet aroma, and the breeze still blows, but we don’tnotice.Quietingthesenses in thiswayisnecessaryforsustainedconcentrationandmeditation.

REFLECTION

Typicallywhenwesit formeditation,wechooseaquiet,dimlylitspot tohelpeliminatedistractions.Instead,findabusy,well-lit,activespotandsitformeditation.Trytoallowthephysicalandemotionalsensationsthatarisetobethepointoffocus.Canyouletthesensesrest?Ifyoucan’t,describethe specific distractions. If you can,what sensations arose?Howdid youfeel?

BOOKTHREE

VibhutiPada

VIBHUTI REFERS TO a sacred white ash used in religious ceremonies. It is anappropriatesymbol,asthelastthreelimbsbringustoourgreatestpotential.Atthispoint,wehaveburnedoffthefilters,limitations,andobstaclesthatheldusbackfromlivingourbestlife.In book three Patanjali concludes the eight-limbed path almost immediately

and uses the remainder of the sutras to elaborate on the further stages ofenlightenment.Theremainingsutrasaremoredescriptiveoftheresultswereachwhenwe’reengaged in the fullpracticeofyoga.For this reason,weconcludeLiving theSutraswith theeighth limb,as thesesutrasoffer thereason, theory,and techniques that encourageand foster thenecessary self-study todevelopacompletepractice.Togetherthelastthreelimbsareknownassamyama,whichisthecombined

andsimultaneouspracticeofwhatweoftenthinkofmorebroadlyasmeditation.Theyaregroupedtogetherbecausethedepthsofmeditationwillfluctuate.Evenwith discipline, some days we struggle with mindful sitting and other dayscompleteabsorptioncomeseasily.These stages are the culmination of ourwork.We offer a brief explanation

and commentary on each one, but not individual reflections. Rather, we offeronefinalprompttokeepthisanactiveandalivepracticeonyourpathforward.

TheInnerLimbs:ThePathForward

desha-bandhashchittasyadharana(3:1)Concentrationisunitingthemindwithoneplace,object,or

ideaforspiritualawakening.

IT’SIMPORTANTtodemystifytheideathatbysimplyclosingoureyesandsittingquietlywewilleventuallyachieveself-realization. It’sdifficult toarrive in thefull stateofmeditation thatbringsus to that levelofawarenessaboutour truenature. For this reason, Patanjali names three stages of awareness, beginningwith sustained concentration and moving through meditation to completeabsorption. The sixth limb, dharana, is the first stage, the sustained state ofconcentrationweachievebyfocusingonsomething.Just aswe focusonan intention to supportourphysicalpractice (asana), in

this stageweusea focus to supportourmeditationpractice.Thesutradoesn’tdirect us to focus on something specific or particular. We can focus on anexternal object, an idea or value, or some aspect of ourselves.Later, Patanjaliexplains thatwe cultivatewhatwe concentrate on and adviseswe choose ourfocuswiththatinmind.Forexample,ifwewanttoreduceanxiety,weimagineandbringthequalityofpeacefulnesstomindandfocusonthat.This state of concentration, dharana, is the beginning ofmeditation.As Sri

Swami Satchidananda says, “Concentration is the beginning of meditation;meditationistheculminationofconcentration.”

tatrapratyayaika-tanatadhyanam(3:2)Meditationiseffortlesssustainedconcentrationonthelasting

impressionofthatobjectoffocus.

Whenmostofusbeginmeditation,we focusonourbreathoran idea suchaslovingcompassion.Inthebeginning,ourminddriftsoff,webringitbacktoourfocus.Itdriftsoffagain,webringitback.Itdriftsoff,webringitback.When

our attention becomes continuous, when the mind doesn’t drift off, we haveachievedtheseventhlimbofyoga,dhyana.Eventually,wemovetosamadhi,theeighthlimb,astatewherewearecompletelyandeffortlesslypresentandaware.Wefeelcompleteandexperiencethemomentfully.Meditation has been brought into the common lexicon, but we confuse

concentrationorcontemplationwithmeditation.Forexample,wesayI’vebeenmeditatingonwhetherornottobuyanewcar.Whenweunderstandsomethingbeyond word, meaning, and form, we’ve moved from concentration tomeditation.We’renotmeditatingonsomething.Instead,everythingfallsaway,includingourfiltersandlimitations.We’vesurrenderedourconceptofwhoweareandweunderstandthetruth.

tadevartha-matranirbhasamsvarupa-shunyamivasamadhih(3:3)

Enlightenmentiswhenthemeditationreflectstheobjecttruthfully,withoutthedistortionofthoughtsofprevious

impressions.

Eventually,wemove tosamadhi, theeighth limb,andastatewherewearesocompletelyandeffortlesslypresentandawarethatanewlightdawnswithinusandwe seedifferently.Themind is steadyand so clear it canonly reflect theexactnatureof itself,which is peaceful and complete. In this state there is nodistortionofour truth,nocauseofpain tocloudconsciousness,and thedivinelightwithinshines.Wearefullyandcompletelythatdivinelight.

Thegreatestadventureofourlivesisdiscoveringourtruenature,whowereallyare.Wemaymeanderonourjourney,butthepathforwardisalwaysthere.Thesutrasofferonesimpledirection:whenwesteadyandcalmourmind,wewillunderstandourtrueself.It’s simple,butnoteasy,which iswhyPatanjaligivesusanentiremapand

waystonavigatethechallengesofhumanlife,cultivatejoy,andleadafulfillinglife. This map guides us so we can have a healthy relationship with others(yamas),ahealthyrelationshipwithourselves(niyamas,asana,andpranayama),and ultimately focus and steady the mind (pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, andsamadhi).

Thismapwill leadus toknowandacceptour trueself.Thenweexperiencepeace andclarity.We staygroundedandconnected to themoral compass thatdefines us.Andwe canmake themost of our unique qualities and skills;wemakethemostofourpotential.Weuncoverourtruepurposeandlivewithease.Wehaveonesimpledirection.Therestofthesutrasareourmap,ourguide,

ourpractice.Remember,Patanjaligivesusourdirectioninthesecondandthirdsutras. First, he says nowwe begin our practice. It is a practice, an ongoingeffort.As ThomasMoorewrote inCare of the Soul, “Ultimately care of the soul

results in an individual ‘I’ I never would have planned for or maybe evenwanted.Bycaringforthesoulfaithfully,everyday,westepoutofthewayandletourfullgeniusemerge.”We offerLiving the Sutras to you as a guide thatwe hope builds a bridge

betweenancienttheoryandmodern-dayapplication,betweenideasonpaperandan active, alive practice. Sowe leave youwith one final exercise to help youcareforyoursoulfaithfully,everyday,soyourtruenatureemerges.

REFLECTION

Reviewyourjournalentriesandbullet-pointanythemes.Setatimerfortenminutesandfree-associatejournalonthethemethatstandsoutthemosttoyou today.Where did your thoughts jump to?What did you learn?Howdoesthathelpyoumoveforward?Withallofthetoolsyouhaveacquiredfromthisbook,writeyourselfapracticethathelpsyouusethisinformationtomoveforwardinyourlife.

We invite you to go back, answer the questions, and review the themesregularly.Theanswerswillevolveasyoudoonyourpath.Inthesamewaythatyogaisalivingpractice,thisjournalisdesignedtobeasaliveandchangingasyouare.

Acknowledgments

WRITING AND YOGA share many similarities. Both have taught me to test myboundaries,remainpresentinthemoment,andrecognizesubtlesensations.Andsometimes I find thehardestpartofboth is just showingup.Myparents,BobandKittyDiNardo,taughtmetheimportanceofshowingupanddoingthework.Forthat,andsomuchmore,Iamincrediblythankful.ThePastTensecommunityhasbeeninstrumentaltomyloveforyoga.They

have bolstered my strength, flexibility, and balance on and off the mat, andhelpedcreateajoyfulyogichome.Theyremindmehowmuchfunitcanbetobea little twistedandencourageanupside-downapproach to life.Thankyou,Kula Yoga &Wellness and TANTRAWellness & Yoga for providing me ahome-away-from-yoga-home.Tomyfriend,yogateacher,andco-authorAmyPearce-Hayden,thankyoufor

laughter and conversation, for teaching me to appreciate the journey toHandstand(andtheoccasionalassist),andforencouragingandhelpingmetakemypracticebeyondthemat.Ahugethankyoutomyfriendsandfamily,particularlythosewhohelpedme

parkmybutt in thechairandencouragedme towrite:SusanBrown,AnnandKeithFielder,MicheleAranda,andMicheleFritz.Aspecial thankyou toDanCarter,MalloryNewall,andJennaGrubmanforkeepingthingshummingalongatPastTense,especiallythroughoutthisproject.I am incredibly grateful to Kate Melloy Goettel, Sonja Kubota Johansson,

CarolineGomez,Zach andCrystalKetterhagen, JamesSabatini, andChristineRobinson for reading early versions of our manuscript and sending suchthoughtful,constructivefeedback.Thankyou,BethFranklandAudraFigginsatShambhala,forbelievinginthisprojectandeditingitsobeautifully.Jessica Papin, even before you were my agent you graciously gave me

wonderfulguidance.I’mgratefulforitandallthesupportyou’veofferedsince.Andfinally,tomyhandsome,wittyhusbandJPFielder,whoencouragesmy

craziest dreams—like opening a yoga studio in the middle of a recession orjuggling multiple book projects at once—with unbridled enthusiasm andstrategicplanstomakedreamsareality.Damase’09.

—Withloveandgratitude,Kelly

HOWWEARRIVEatacertainpoint inour life isnevercoincidental,but ratheraculminationofuniquemoments,choices,experiences,andinfluences.GrowingupwithastrongCatholicbackgroundIfoundmyselfinterestedincertainaspectsof ritual. I liked the routine ofMass andwas curious about the sacraments. Ihavemymother, Judy, to thank for this introduction to faith.My father, Jim,alwaysthoughtoutsideofanyreligiousbox,whichmayhavesubtlyencouragedmetofindmyownspiritualpath.Iamgratefultothemboth.Yogaphilosophy,fromaclassicalstandpoint,doesn’trequireaspecificfaith

butratherasksustoapplyourselvesusingasystematicapproachtowardgainingan understanding of not only who we are, but also what our potential is. Itpromptsustostepbackandlearntobetheobserverofourlife,questioningandinvestigatingouractionsandourmotivation. It teachesus thatourexperiencesareperfectlyanduniquelytimedsothatwecanarriveatthebestpersonwecanbe.I have been lucky to study with many wonderful teachers along the way,

including Rolf Sovik, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Sandra Anderson, and ShariFriedrichsen in the Himalayan Tradition, as well as Lisa Matkin, CharlesMatkin, and Gabriel Halpern, my early guides. As a practitioner of yoga fortwenty-fiveyears and a teacher for nearly twodecades, it is in the day-to-dayapplicationofthesystemofyogathathasfosteredthedevelopmentofmyownskills.Iamforevergratefultomystudents,inparticulartothosewhosupportedmyfirstbigendeavor,TheYogaScape&SpainNewYork.IwouldliketoespeciallythankCarolineGomezandLisaMarieCasagrande

fortheirunconditionallove,support,andfeedback,notonlyduringthewritingof this book but also since our journey together began. JamesSabatini,LeslieBernstein, Maura Cody, and Monica Lambert: you have always been mycheerleaders. Special thanks to Zach and Crystal Ketterhagen, ChristineRobinson,KateMelloyGoettel,andSonjaKubotaJohnassonforearlyfeedbackandeditsonthemanuscript.TheYogaSutrashavealwaysbeencentraltomyteachingandpractice.They

havehelpedmemakemeaningofmylifeandprovidedthefoundationforhowI

approach living a full and good life. I am deeply grateful to Beth Frankl andAudraFigginsatShambhalaPublicationsandJessicaPapinatDystel,Goderich&Bourretforalltheirhelpandsupportinbringingsuchapersonallymeaningfulworktoabroaderaudience.Iamsothankfultomywritingpartner,Kelly.Yourexpertliterarysensemade

thismanuscriptpossible.Tohavestumbleduponeachotherseemsinevitable.Iunknowingly sat next toKelly’smomon a flight fromNewYork toMadisonandshe tried toconnectusbecausewewerebothyogastudioowners recentlytransplantedtoMadison.Webothtookeachother’sbusinesscards,stuffedtheminadrawer,andforgotaboutthem.Magically,KellybecamemystudentatKulaYoga&Wellnessafewmonthslater,andduringourcollaboration,wepiecedittogether. Iamgrateful to the insistenceof theuniverse inbringingus togetherandtoBeckyPetersenforcreatingthecommunityatKulathatmadeourmeetingpossible.Tomysupportiveandlovingpartner,JorgeMelara:thankyou.Thankyoufor

yourwillingnesstoridethewaves,bethecurrent,andfloatalongwithme.Youaretrulyayogi.Lastly, students of yoga:To you I amgrateful.Maywe continue to inspire

eachotherandsupportthepracticeofthisbeautifulancientsystem.

—Ingratitude,Amy

Appendix1:Resources

THESUTRASThefollowingbooksoffertranslationandfurthercommentaryonthesutrasandrange from accessible to more in-depth, academic study.We suggest startingwith Satchidananda’s approachable commentary and working toward those ofIyengarandBryant,bothconsidereddefinitiveandcomprehensiveguides.

Bryant, Edwin F. trans. The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali: A New Edition,Translation,andCommentary.NewYork:NorthPointPress,2009.

Carrera,Jaganath.InsidetheYogaSutras:AComprehensiveSourcebookfortheStudyandPracticeofPatanjali’sYogaSutras.Buckingham,VA:IntegralYogaPublications,2005.

Iyengar, B. K. S., trans. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali. London:Thorsons,2002.

Mehta, Rohit. Yoga: The Art of Integration. Wheaton, IL: TheosophicalPublishingHouse,1975.

Miller,BarbaraStoler,trans.Yoga:DisciplineofFreedom.NewYork:Bantam,1998.

Saraswati,SwamiSatyananda.FourChaptersonFreedom:CommentaryontheYogaSutrasofPatanjali.Bihar,India:YogaPublicationsTrust,2013.

Satchidananda, Sri Swami, trans. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Buckingham,VA:IntegralYogaPublications,2012.

Taimini, I. K. The Science of Yoga. North Charleston, SC: CreateSpaceIndependentPublishing,2014.

Tigunait, Pandit Rajmani. The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada.Honesdale,PA:HimalayanInstitutePress,2017.

———. The Secret of the Yoga Sutra: Samadhi Pada. Honesdale, PA:HimalayanInstitutePress,2014.

MEDITATIONDass, Ram. Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guidebook. New York:

Bantam,1990.Meditation canbemore than a sittingpractice, andDass explores avarietyof

optionsincludingmantra,singing,visualization,andmovement.Mipham,Sakyong.TurningtheMindintoanAlly.NewYork:RiverheadBooks,

2004.Anaccessibleintroductiontothebasicsofmeditation.

Morgan, Bill. The Meditator’s Dilemma: An Innovative Approach toOvercoming Obstacles and Revitalizing Your Practice. Boulder:Shambhala,2016.

Apsychologistandmeditationteachersharestipsonhowtodealwithcommonstruggles in establishing a consistent practice and offers several guidedexercises.

Nairn,Rob.WhatIsMeditation?:BuddhismforEveryone.Boston:Shambhala,2000.

Anexplanationofmeditation from theBuddhistworldviewwitheasy step-by-stepinstructionsonbeginningapractice.

Piver,Susan.StartHereNow:AnOpen-HeartedGuidetothePathandPracticeofMeditation.Boston:Shambhala,2015.

ArenownedBuddhistteacherdefineswhatmeditationis,writesaboutwhatyouneed to know to start a practice, dispels commonmyths, andoffers advice onovercomingcommonobstaclestoaregularpractice.

Rinzler, Lodro. Sit Like a Buddha: A Pocket Guide to Meditation. Boston:Shambhala,2014.

Amodern,accessibleguidetobeginningameditationpracticeforthespiritual-but-not-religiousaudience.

Salzberg, Sharon. Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation. New York:WorkmanPublishing,2010.

Atwenty-eight-dayprogramtobeginameditationpracticewithexplanationsonhowmeditationworks.

Sovik,Rolf.MovingInward:TheJourneytoMeditation.Honesdale,PA:HimalayanInstitutePress,2007.Detailedinstructionsonhowtobeginameditationpractice,fromhowtofindacomfortableseattobreathingtechniques.

Trungpa, Chögyam. The Path Is the Goal: A Basic Handbook of BuddhistMeditation.Boston:Shambhala,2011.

A simple, practicalmanual for thepracticeofmeditation fromadistinguishedteacher.

OTHERChödrön, Pema. Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and

Fears.Boston:Shambhala,2010.Thebest-sellingauthorandspiritualteachershowsreadershowtorecognizeandbreakdeeplyingrainedbehaviorsthroughBuddhistwisdom.

Cope,Stephen.TheGreatWorkofYourLife:AGuidefortheJourneytoYourTrueCalling.NewYork:Bantam,2015.

Adetailed,modern,andaccessibletouroftheBhagavadGita,anancientIndianepic,tohelpreadersdiscovertheirownpurpose.

Cope,Stephen.YogaandtheQuestfortheTrueSelf.NewYork:Bantam,2000.Thepersonaljourneyofapsychologistwhomovedtoayogacentertodiscoverhistruenature.

Covey,StephenR.The7HabitsofHighlyEffectivePeople:PowerfulLessonsinPersonalChange.NewYork:FreePress,1989.

Aprinciple-centeredguidetochangingyourselfandyourlife,bothprofessionalandpersonal.

Csikszentmihalyi,Mihaly.Flow:ThePsychologyofOptimalExperience.NewYork:HarperPerennialModernClassics,2008.

The book defines the flow state, summarizes decades of research on joy andcreativity,andlooksatwaysthisstatecanbecontrolled.

Duhigg, Charles.The Power of Habit:WhyWeDoWhatWeDo in Life andBusiness.NewYork:RandomHouse,2014.

The Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter explores the science of habit, why habitsexist,andhowtheycanbechanged.

Farhi,Donna.TheBreathingBook:GoodHealthandVitalityThroughEssentialBreathWork.NewYork:HoltPaperbacks,1996.

Apracticalguidetobreathingtechniqueswithphotosandillustrations.

Feuerstein,Georg.TheShambhalaEncyclopediaofYoga.Boston:Shambhala,2000.

Anencyclopediaofyoga’shistory,teachers,schools,andscripture.

Iyengar,B.K.S.LightonPrãnãyãma:TheYogicArtofBreathing.NewYork:CrossroadPublishing,1985.

The yoga master provides a detailed look at the respiratory system andpranayamatechniques.

Iyengar,B.K.S.LightonYoga.NewYork:Schocken,1995.Thedefinitiveguidetothepracticeofyogawithdetaileddescriptionsandphotosoftheyogaposturesandbreathingtechniques.

Kondō,Marie.The Life-ChangingMagic of TidyingUp: The Japanese Art ofDeclutteringandOrganizing.Berkley:TenSpeedPress,2014.

Aguidetohelpyouchangeyourrelationshipwithall the thingsinyourhouseandlife.

Kornfield,Jack.AftertheEcstasy,theLaundry:HowtheHeartGrowsWiseontheSpiritualPath.NewYork:Bantam,2001.

How the enlightened reader can navigate the real world from the mundanelaundrytoheartbreakingloss.

Moore, Thomas. Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth andSacrednessinEverydayLife.NewYork:HarperPerennial,2016.

Atherapist’slookatthelinkbetweenspiritualityandtheproblemsofindividualsandsociety.

Rosen, Richard. The Yoga of Breath: A Step-by-Step Guide to Pranayama.Boston:Shambhala,2002.

An excellent guide to pranayamawith clear explanations behind the complexphilosophy.

Ruiz, don Miguel. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to PersonalFreedom.SanRafael,CA:Amber-AllenPublishing,1997.

Based onToltecwisdom, this book gives readers a code of conductmeant totransformourlives.

Sparrowe, Linda. Yoga at Home: Inspiration for Creating Your Own HomePractice.NewYork:Rizzoli,2015.

Aguidetocreatingahomepracticewithbeautifulphotosandinsightfromwell-knownteachersincludingSeaneCorne,DavidLife,SharonGannon,andElenaBrower.

Stone,Michael.The InnerTraditionofYoga:AGuide toYogaPhilosophy fortheContemporaryPractitioner.Boston:Shambhala,2008.

BuddhistandmeditationteacherMichaelStoneexplainsthephilosophyofyogainapractical,accessiblewaymeanttohelpreadersbringitoffthemat.

Trungpa,Chögyam.CuttingThroughSpiritualMaterialism.Boston:Shambhala,2002.

Themeditationmasterandteacherexamineshowwebecomesidetrackedonourspiritualjourney.

Trungpa,Chögyam.TheMythofFreedomandtheWaytoMeditation.Boston:Shambhala,2002.

In short, accessible chapters, Trungpa explores the meaning of freedom andgenuinespiritualityfromaBuddhistperspective.

WEBSITESwww.kellydinardo.com. Kelly’s personal site with links to travel, health, and

yogawritings,otherbooks,upcomingtalks,andmore.www.tantramadison.com. TANTRA Wellness & Yoga, Amy’s studio in

Madison, WI, with information and links to her teachings, workshops,retreats,andmore.

www.shambhala.com/articles. Shambhala Publications’ website includes daily

wisdom posts and essays by well-known mindfulness authors includingPemaChödrön.

www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work. ShawnAchor’sTEDTalkonthehappinessadvantage.

Appendix2:TheSutras

AS WE MENTIONED in the introduction, Living the Sutras is not meant to be aword-for-word transliteration of The Yoga Sutras but rather an approachableexplanation.We share it herewithout the commentary to let you see how thethreadsconnect.

.......

athayoganushasanam(1:1)Nowwebegin.

.......

yogashchitta-vrtti-nirodha(1:2)Yogaisthemasteryofthemind’sfluctuations.

.......

tadadrastuhsvarupe‘vasthanam(1:3)Whenthemindissteadyandcalm,weknowourtruenature.

.......

vrtti-sarupyamitaratra(1:4)Atothertimes,wefollowthefluctuationsofthemind.

.......

vrttayapanchatayyahklishtaklishtah(1:5)Therearefivechangingstatesofthemindandtheyareeither

detrimentalornot.

.......

pramana-viparyaya-vikalpa-nidra-smrtayah(1:6)Theyarecorrectknowledge,misperception,imagination,sleep,

andmemory.

.......

pratyakshanumanagamahpramanani(1:7)Thesourceofrightknowledgeisbuiltonclearsenseperception,logic,andverbal

communication.

.......

viparyayomithya-jnanamatad-rupa-pratishtham(1:8)Falseknowledgecomesfrommisperception.

.......

shabda-jnananupativastu-shunyovikalpah(1:9)Misperceptionisconceptualizingorimaginingsomethingwithout

anysubstanceorrealityasthebasis.

.......

abhava-pratyayalambanavrttirnidra(1:10)Absenceofrealityalsoarisesfromdeepsleepwithoutthought,

dreams,orothermovementsofthemind.

.......

anubhuta-vishayasampramoshahsmrtih(1:11)Memoryisapreviousexperiencethathasn’tbeenforgotten.

.......

abhyasa-vairagyabhyamtan-nirodhah(1:12)Themind’sfluctuationsarestilledthroughpracticeand

Themind’sfluctuationsarestilledthroughpracticeandacceptance.

tatrasthitauyatno’bhyasah(1:13)Practiceistheefforttosteadythemind.

.......

satudirgha-kala-nairantarya-satkarasevitodrdha-bhumih(1:14)Themindeasilybecomessteadywhenpracticeisconsistent,

sustained,andsincere.

.......

drshtanushravika-vishaya-vitrshnasyavashikara-samjnavairagyam(1:15)Acceptanceariseswhenwearefreefrom

craving.

.......

tat-parampurusha-khyaterguna-vaitrshnyam(1:16)Supremeacceptanceleadstounderstandingourtrueselfand

occurswhenweallowforthechangingnatureoflife.

.......

vitarka-vicharanandasmita-rupanugamatsamprajnatah(1:17)Samadhiistheprocessofcompleteabsorptionbroughtonby

reasoning,reflection,joy,andself-understanding.

.......

virama-pratyayabhyasa-purvahsamskara-shesho‘nyah(1:18)Samadhiisalsothestateatwhichwearrivewhenthemindis

steady.

.......

bhava-pratyayovideha-prakrti-layanam(1:19)Samadhiisa

naturalstateforsomeonewhoisenlightened.

.......

shraddha-virya-smrti-samadhi-prajna-purvakahitaresham(1:20)Fortherestofus,wemustusefaith,passion,mindfulness,quiet,andgoodjudgmenttosupportourjourneytoward

samadhi.

.......

tivra-samveganamasannah(1:21)Thestateofsamadhicomesquicklytothesincereanddiligent.

.......

mrdu-madhyadhimatratvattato’pivisheshah(1:22)Thetimenecessarytoreachthestateofsamadhiisbasedonthestrengthofourcommitmenttoourpractice—mild,medium,

orintense.

.......

Ishvara-pranidhanadva(1:23)Themoredirectmethodtoreachingthestateofsamadhiisbysurrenderingtothedivine

plan.

.......

klesha-karma-vipakashayairaparamrshtahpurusha-visheshaIshvarah(1:24)Thedivineplanisthesourceofourtruenature

andisflawless.

.......

tatraniratishayamsarvajna-bijam(1:25)Thedivineisbothall-knowingandknowledgeitself.

.......

purveshamapiguruhkalenanavachchedat(1:26)Thedivinehasalwaysexistedandisthesupremeteacher.

.......

tasyavachakahpranavah(1:27)ThedivineisexpressedthroughthesoundOM.

.......

taj-japastad-artha-bhavanam(1:28)RepeatingandreflectingonOMrevealsthemeaningofthedivine.

.......

tatahpratyak-chetanadhigamo’pyantarayabhavashcha(1:29)Weunderstandandexperienceourpotentialdivinitybychanting

andreflectinguponOM.

.......

vyadhi-styana-samshaya-pramadalasyavirati-bhranti-darshanalabdha-bhumikatvanavasthitatvanichitta-vikeshpaste’ntarayah(1:30)Illness,procrastination,doubt,carelessness,laziness,longing,confusion,apathy,andinstabilityarethe

obstaclesthatcreatepaininvariousways.

.......

duhkha-daurmanasyangam-ejayatva-shvasa-prashvasavikshepa-saha-bhuvah(1:31)Theobstaclesthatcausesufferingmanifestasmentalagitation,physicaltrembling,anderratic

breathing.

.......

tat-pratishedharthameka-tattvabhyasah(1:32)Spiritualone-pointednessisthebestwaytoremovethe

obstacles.

.......

maitri-karuna-muditopekshanamsukha-duhkha-punyapunya-vishayanambhavanataschitta-prasadanam(1:33)Orthemindremainssteadyandcalmwhenwerespondwiththeappropriate

attitudeforthesituation.

.......

prachchardana-vidharanabhyamvapranasya(1:34)Orthemindbecomesclearthroughcontrolledbreathing,specifically

exhalingandretainingthebreath.

.......

vishayavativapravrttirutpannamanasahsthiti-nibandhani(1:35)Orcultivatingawarenesscangiveusadeepersenseof

calmandpresence.

.......

vishokavajyotishmati(1:36)Orbycultivatingawarenessofourinnerdivinitywecreatea

peacefulandcalmmind.

.......

vita-raga-vishayamvachittam(1:37)Orwesteadythemindbyfocusinguponsomeonewhois

peacefulandvirtuous.

.......

svapna-nidra-jnanalambanamva(1:38)Orthemindcan

becomecalmwhenitissupportedbysleepandtheknowledgeofenlighteningdreams.

.......

yathabhimata-dhyanadva(1:39)Orwecancalmthemindbyplacingourattentiononaspecific

objectthatupliftsus.

.......

paramanu-parama-mahattvanto’syavashikarah(1:40)Graduallyourknowledgestretchesfromthefinitetotheinfinite.

.......

kshina-vrtterabhijatasyevamanergrahitr-grahana-grahyeshutat-stha-tad-anjanatasamapattih(1:41)Fullknowledgearriveswhenwediminishtheobstaclestothepointwherethemindis

clearandtransparent.Inthisstate,there’snodifferencebetweenus,knowledge,andwhatisknowable.

.......

tatrashabdartha-jnana-vikalpaihsankirnasavitarka-samapattih(1:42)Furtherknowledgearriveswhenname,form,and

meaningarejoined.

.......

smrti-parishuddhausvarupa-shunyevartha-matra-nirbhasanirvitarka(1:43)Whenwearefullypresentandnotcoloredbyourmemories,theobjectormomentisunderstoodcompletely.

.......

etayaivasavicharanirvicharachasukshma-vishayavyakhayata(1:44)Examinationandinsightallowustounderstandsubtle

objectsinthesameway.

.......

sukshma-vishayatvamchalinga-paryavasanam(1:45)Totalabsorptionoccurswhenthere’snoname,form,or

meaninglefttoknow.

.......

taevasabijahsamadhih(1:46)ToachievethepreviousstatesofSamadhi,anobjectisusedasafocalpoint.

.......

nirvichara-vaisharadyedhyatma-prashadah(1:47)Inthenextstageofsamadhi,ourinnerlightguidesus.

rtam-bharatatraprajna(1:48)Inthatstate,weliveintruth.

.......

shrutanumana-prajnabhyamanya-vishayavishesharthatvat(1:49)Thistruthisgreaterthanknowledgegainedfromstudyor

inference.

.......

taj-jah,samskaro’nya-samskara-pratibandhi(1:50)Thewisdomthat’sgainedinthisstateerasesallotherfalseimpressions.

.......

tasyapinirodhesarva-nirodhannirbijahsamadhih(1:51)Wheneventhetrueimpressionsaredormant,wehavethe

highestlevelofsamadhi.

.......

tapah-svadhyayeshvara-pranidhananikriya-yogah(2:1)Yogainaction,orkriyayoga,isthepracticeofdiscipline,self-

study,andfaith.

.......

samadhi-bhavanarthahklesha-tanu-karanarthashcha(2:2)Throughthispractice,thecausesofpaindisappear;peaceand

easearegained.

.......

avidyasmita-raga-dveshabhiniveshahkleshah(2:3)Misperception,identity,attachment,avoidance,andfearcause

pain.

.......

avidyakshetramuttareshamprasupta-tanu-vichchinnodaranam(2:4)Misperceptionistherootcauseofalltheobstaclesthat

causepain.

.......

anityashuchi-duhkhanatmasunityashuchi-sukhatma-khyatiravidya(2:5)Confusingimpermanenceandpermanence,painandpleasure,truthanduntruth,aswellasouregofromour

potential,areformsofmisperception.

.......

drg-darshana-shaktyorekatmatevasmita(2:6)Egolimitsusandcausespainwhenweconfuseouridentityand

truenature.

.......

sukhanushayiragah(2:7)Attachmentisseekingcontinual

pleasureandwillcausepain.

.......

duhkanushayidveshah(2:8)Aversioniswhenweavoidsituationsbecauseofpastpainful

experiences.Thisperpetuatessufferingandlimitsourpotential.

.......

svarasa-vahividusho’pitatharudho’bhiniveshah(2:9)Fearofdeath,loss,orchangecausespainineveryone.

.......

tepratiprasava-heyahsukshmah(2:10)Byeliminatingtheseafflictions,futurepain(karma)disappears

atdeath.

.......

dhyana-heyastad-vrttayah(2:11)Meditationisthetoolforeliminatingtheseobstacles.

.......

klesha-mulahkarmashayodrshtadrshta-janma-vedaniyah(2:12)Theseafflictionsorobstaclescontinuebecauseofhabit.

.......

satimuletad-vipakojatyayur-bhogah(2:13)Untilweremovetheobstacles,habitcontinuestodictateour

life’sexperience.

.......

tehlada-paritapa-phalahpunyapunya-hetutvat(2:14)Ouractionsdeterminehowweexperienceeaseorpain.

Ouractionsdeterminehowweexperienceeaseorpain.

.......

parinama-tapa-samskara-duhkhairguna-vrtti-virodhachchaduhkhamevasarvamvivekinah(2:15)Onewhoisdiscerningknowswesufferbecauseweareallsubjecttochange,longing,habit,andfluctuatingenergies.Understandingsufferingand

howtouseitforchangearrivesthroughdiscernment.

.......

heyamduhkhamanagatam(2:16)Throughdiscernment,wecanavoidkarmicpain.

.......

drashtr-drshyayohsamyogoheya-hetuh(2:17)Inordertoremovepainwemustlearntoseetheworld

objectively.

.......

prakasha-kriya-sthiti-shilambhutendriyatmakambhogapavargarthamdrshyam(2:18)Fulfillingourpurposeand

findingeasearepossiblethroughobjectivity.

.......

visheshavishesa-linga-matralinganiguna-parvani(2:19)Althougheverythingisinaconstantstateofchange,thesame

divineenergyexistsineverything.

.......

drashtadrshi-matrahshuddho’pipratayayanupashyah(2:20)Ourunderstandingisbaseduponhowweperceiveour

experiences.

.......

tad-arthaevadrshyasyatma(2:21)Experiencesexisttodeepenourunderstandingandknowing.

.......

krtarthampratinashtamapyanashtamtad-anya-sadharanatvat(2:22)Theworldexistssothatwecanfulfillourpurpose.

.......

sva-svami-shaktyohsvarupopalabdhi-hetuhsamyogah(2:23)Developingahigherawarenessofselfisthekeytoexperiencing

ourtruenature.

.......

tasyaheturavidya(2:24)Ourinabilitytodothatarisesfromthemisperceptionthatweare

onlyourexperiences.

.......

tad-abhavatsamyogabhavohanamtad-drshehkaivalyam(2:25)Withoutthismisperception,werealizeourlifeismadeupofour

everydayexperienceandagreaterpurpose.

.......

viveka-khyatiraviplavahanopayah(2:26)Throughfocusanddiscernmentweunderstandthatweareboth

divineawarenessandindividualexperiences.

.......

tasyasaptadhapranta-bhumihprajna(2:27)Wisdombecomesenlightenmentthroughdiscriminationandstudy.

.......

yoganganushthanadashuddhi-kshayejnana-diptir-aviveka-khyateh(2:28)Practicingtheeightlimbsofyogaremovestheobstacles,andtheresultingwisdomleadstoenlightenment.

.......

yama-niyamasana-pranayama-pratyahara-dharana-dhyana-samadhayoshtavangani(2:29)Theeightlimbsaremadeofmoralcodesandobservances,aswellasphysical,emotional,energetic,andmentaldisciplinestopurifyandsteadythemind.

.......

ahimsa-satyasteya-brahmacharyaparigrahayamah(2:30)Yoga’smoralcoderequiresnonviolence,honesty,non-stealing,

moderation,andgreedlessness.

.......

jati-desha-kala-samayanavachchinnahsarva-bhaumamaha-vratam(2:31)Themoralcode,knownasthegreatvow,canbe

usedbyanyoneandappliedtoallpeopleandsituationsregardlessofclass,circumstance,orability.

.......

shaucha-santosha-tapah-svadhyayesvara-pranidhananiniyamah(2:32)Theyogicapproachrequirespurity,contentment,discipline,self-study,andfaithfulness.

.......

vitarka-badhanepratipaksha-bhavanam(2:33)Negativethoughtssubsidebyplacingattentiononpositivethoughts.

.......

vitarkahimsadayahkrta-karitanumoditalobha-krodha-moha-purvakamrdu-madhyadhimatraduhkhajnanananta-phalaitipratipaksha-bhavanam(2:34)Greed,anger,andconfusioninthought,word,ordeedcreateviolence.Breakingthecycleofpainrequiresdiscernmentandfocusontheoppositequalities.

.......

ahimsa-pratishthayamtat-sannidhauvaira-tyagah(2:35)Allviolenceceasestoexistinthecompanyofonewhohas

masterednonviolence.

.......

satya-pratishthayamkriya-phalashrayatvam(2:36)Whenwespeakandlivetruthfully,whatwesayanddomanifests.

.......

asteya-pratishthayamsarva-ratnopasthanam(2:37)Thepracticeofnon-stealingcreatesabundanceandprosperity.

.......

brahmacharya-pratishthayamvirya-labhah(2:38)Strengthandvitalitycometothosewhousetheirenergyforthe

greatestgood.

.......

aparigraha-sthairyejanma-kathantasambodhah(2:39)Whenwedon’twantforwhatwedon’thave,weunderstandour

truepurpose.

.......

shauchatsvanga-jugupsaparairasamsargah(2:40)Throughpurificationwenaturallyavoidtoxiccontactwithothers.

.......

sattva-shuddhi-saumanasyaikagryendriya-jayatma-darshanayogyatvanicha(2:41)Additionally,themindbecomespure,positive,andone-pointed.Thesensesquietandwebecome

readytoexperienceourtruenature.santoshadanuttamahsukha-labhah(2:42)Truejoyarrivesthroughcontentment.

.......

kayendriya-siddhirashuddhi-kshayattapasah(2:43)Throughcommitteddisciplineweremoveimpuritiesand

strengthenourpersonalpower.

.......

svadhyayadishta-devata-samprayogah(2:44)Contemplationandself-studyconnectustotheinnerdivine.

.......

samadhi-siddhirishvara-pranidhanat(2:45)Throughfaithandtrustfulsurrendertotheunknowndivinewe

findeaseandjoy.

.......

sthira-sukhamasanam(2:46)Posturesshouldbepracticedwithsteadinessandease.

.......

prayatna-shaithilyananta-samapattibhyam(2:47)Theposturesaremasteredwhenwelessenourtensionand

focusontheinfinitedivine.

.......

tatodvandvanabhighatah(2:48)Throughthisapproachevenmentalandemotionaltensionsdisappear.

.......

tasminsatishvasa-prashvasayorgati-vichchedahpranayamah(2:49)Astheposturesaremastered,controllingthebreathbeginstofurtherbalanceemotionalandmentalenergy.

.......

bahyabhyantara-stambha-vrttih-desha-kala-sankhyabhihparidrshtodirgha-sukshmah(2:50)Theinhale,exhale,andthespacebetweenbreathscanbemodifiedbylengthandduration.

Thisispranayama.bahyabhyantara-vishayakshepichaturthah(2:51)

Asaresultofthispractice,weexperienceamoresubtle,effortlesstypeofpranayama.

.......

tatahkshiyateprakashavaranam(2:52)Asthisstillnessarises,theobstaclesfallawayandweexpandourawarenessofself.

dharanasuchayogyatamanasah(2:53)Thenthemindisreadyforconcentration.

.......

svavishayasamprayogechittasyasvarupanukaraivendriyanampratyaharah(2:54)Next,thesensesaredirectedtofocus

inwardlyandontheminditself.

.......

tatahparamavashyatendriyanam(2:55)Thenthesensesarecontrolledandinternalfocusarrives.

.......

desha-bandhashchittasyadharana(3:1)Concentrationisunitingthemindwithoneplace,object,orideaforspiritual

awakening.

.......

tatrapratyayaika-tanatadhyanam(3:2)Meditationiseffortlesssustainedconcentrationonthelasting

impressionofthatobjectoffocus.

.......

tadevartha-matranirbhasamsvarupa-shunyamivasamadhih(3:3)Enlightenmentiswhenthemeditationreflectstheobject

truthfully,withoutthedistortionofthoughtsofpreviousimpressions.

AbouttheAuthors

StaceyVaeth

KELLYDINARDOstartedaconsistentyogapracticewhenshewasprocrastinatingonawritingassignment.Parkedonayogamat, sheclearedherwriter’sblockanddevelopedanewpassion.DiNardotookherfirstyogatrainingin2003andhassincestudiedwithCyndiLee,CharlesMatkin,RolfGates,SharonGannonandDavidLife,andAmyPearce-Hayden.In2009sheopenedPastTenseyogastudioinWashington,DC.Thepopularstudiohaswonseverallocalawards.Off the mat, DiNardo is the author of Gilded Lili: Lili St. Cyr and the

StripteaseMystique,whichearnedastarredreviewfromPublishersWeekly.ShecontributedtoFodor’sGuidetoSwitzerland,updatingtheirchaptersonGeneva,Zurich, and the Valais. She also worked as a researcher for bestsellingbiographerAnthonySummersonSinatra:TheLifeandTheEleventhDay:TheFullStoryof9/11andOsamaBinLaden,aPulitzerPrizefinalist.Asafreelancejournalist she has written for several national publications including theNewYork Times,O: The Oprah Magazine,National Geographic Traveler, Shape,Health, Glamour, the Washington Post, USA Today, and others. She is a

graduateofCornellUniversity.

CrystalKetterhagen

AMY PEARCE-HAYDEN discovered yoga at eleven when she stumbled across abookabout thepracticeather local library. In1995,her formal studyofyogabeganintheIyengartraditionwithGabrielHalpern,whileshewasalsoworkingtoward her BFA at DePaul University’s Conservatory Professional TheatreSchool.After relocating toNewYorkCity in1997, she studiedwithLisaandCharlesMatkin,RolfSovik,PanditRajmaniTigunait,SandraAnderson,ShariFriedrichsen,DharmaMittra, and SharonGannon andDavid Life.After eightyearsofdevotedstudysheopenedtheRajaHathaSchoolofYogain2003,whichoffers both 200-and 500-hour Yoga Alliance recognized teacher trainingprograms.Amy’s first studio, TheYogaScape&Spawas namedBestYoga Studio by

HudsonValleyMagazineand its readers.ShewasnamedFemaleEntrepreneurof theYear by theProfessionalWomenofPutnamAssociation in 2011.AmyhasalsobeenfeaturedregularlybyYogaInternationalasacontributorwithheronline classes, alongwith being a covermodel in summer 2012. In 2013 and2014shecohostedtheTimesSquareSummerSolstice“MindoverMatter”eventwith ten thousand yogis practicing in the heart of New York City. As arecognized International Yoga teacher, she is sought out for her expertise inlinkingclassicalyogawithmodern living.Shespecializes inaddiction, traumatherapy, and whole-family living. Amy’s Midwest yoga studio TANTRAWellness&YogaislocatedindowntownMadison,Wisconsin,whereshenowliveswithherpartner,Jorge,herson,Pearce,andherdaughter,Love.

SignuptoreceivenewsandspecialoffersfromShambhalaPublications.

Orvisitusonlinetosignupatshambhala.com/eshambhala.