The Yoga Sutras Historical Context

From the archives: Breathing Foundations Become clear on the fundamental cautions related to practicing pranayama and the associated implications and best practices for teaching about the breath. Read the full study guide →

From the archives: Branches or Paths of Yoga Become familiar with the major branches of yoga and their origins. Read the full study guide →

From the archives: Dharana Philosophy – The sixth limb is dharana, defined as “keeping the attention on a single place.” (Nicolai Bachman) Dharana is often defined as concentration. – Dharana may be considered the beginning of meditation or as a practice that leads to the state of meditation. – (See also: Meditation & Mindfulness Introduction.) This process can be described as letting go of everything that is not the object of meditation. Read the full study guide →

From the archives: Dhyana Philosophy & Theory – Dharana, dhyana and samadhi together are called samyama. – They may be seen as a progression of knowing the object of concentration. – Dhyana is often translated as meditation. Read the full study guide →

From the archives: Pratyahara Philosophy & Theory – It’s often translated as “sensory withdrawal.” Pratyahara is the key point of moving from the outer to the inner aspects of yoga. – It’s where attention is withdrawn from the outer world and turned inward. – It’s the preparation for concentration and meditation. Read the full study guide →

From the archives: Pratyahara Practices – However, most sources were limited in their offering of practices and it was rare to find detailed support describing how to practice and teach them. – Therefore, we think our research to bring this together may offer a particularly valuable contribution to your toolkit. – We invite your thoughts and leads for additional resources. Read the full study guide →