Yoga Sutras

Yoga instruction was traditionally passed from Guru to student orally. Patanjali was the first person to record yogic teachings in writing — and when he did, around two thousand years ago, he gave us one of the most enduring maps of the inner life ever set to paper.

My own relationship with the Sutras was shaped by training in the Integral Yoga tradition — a holistic lineage that treats yoga not as a physical discipline with spiritual undertones, but as a complete path: one that works through the body to quiet the mind and uncover what was always there.

That understanding shapes everything I bring into a session. My formal training led to a Diploma of Integral Yoga from the Integral Yoga Academy of Australasia, and the Sutras have been a constant companion in my practice since. I generally carry a copy with me in my small library.

Since the original text, many teachers have offered their own interpretations. What draws me back again and again is how alive these teachings remain — how precisely they describe the inner experience of a sincere practice. Some of the Sutra-derived concepts you are likely to hear me speak about are:

• Asana – the physical component of yoga
• Pranayama – yogic breath practice
• Ahimsa – non-violence
• Santosha – contentment
• Satya – truthfulness