Most students and teachers of yoga in the Western world will have come across Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra. Written about 2,000 years ago, this collection of 195 aphorisms has come to represent the foundation and pinnacle of the yoga tradition. The Sanskrit is dense, technical and brief: scholars across the world, and particularly since the late 19th century, have spent years analyzing and interpreting their meaning. Yet, for the vast majority of today's students, the Yoga Sūtra has little relevance to their own practice. Most will not have read Patañjali's original text, and the various translations and commentaries in existence vary considerably in their emphasis.
Following the footsteps of our primary teachers—Peter Hersnack, Paul Harvey and T.K.V. Desikachar—we believe that far from being an esoteric and academic text, the Yoga Sūtra is the key to transforming the way we do yoga. Each of these three extraordinary teachers illuminated aspects of the text and practice that brought an ancient teaching alive and made it fresh and contemporary. They moved it from the abstract to the practical: how it can affect the body (in āsana), the breath (in prā
āyāma), the mind (in meditation), and the lived reality of our lives—in relationship to others. The Yoga Sūtra is a treasure trove of suggestions for both practice and for life. We set out to write a book that took this key principle—that the Yoga Sūtra is a living text—to explore how specific sūtras can deepen and change various aspects of our practice and our lives.
At the heart of our teaching is the concept of viniyoga—the appropriate application of techniques to the individual. One crucial aspect of our approach, arising particularly from Peter Hersnack, is the importance of bhāvana—images that play through your mind as you practice. In āsana and prāāyāma, how you place your thoughts is as important as where you place your limbs. Indeed bhāvana (which is sometimes translated as “meditation”) does not only happen sitting cross-legged with your eyes closed, but can infuse every aspect of your waking life. Our hope is that by understanding the meaning of the key yoga sūtras we present in this book, you may apply concepts such as these both “on and off” the mat.
Most readers will be unfamiliar with many of the Sanskrit words and terms used, so we have tried to break these down etymologically to draw out the richness of association—the poetry, if you like—of the sūtras. Where we have kept to the original Sanskrit words, we have used italics and also diacritical markings. Please refer to the glossary for a discussion on some basics about Sanskrit and its pronunciation. Where words have become more commonly understood in English (for example, “yoga,” “sūtra,” “āsana” and “prāāyāma”), we have dispensed with the italics.
We begin each chapter with a single yoga sūtra (except Chapter 8, which has two), both in Devanagari and Romanized script, and then translated into English. A brief commentary on the sūtra follows, explaining some of the key terms. Each chapter then goes on to provide more context, both in terms of where the sūtra occurs—and in some cases, the sūtras preceding or following it—and how its teachings can be understood in our modern context.
There is no strict chronology to the chapters, nor are the sūtras in order, so the reader can dip in and out as they choose. The book is not a commentary on the complete Yoga Sūtra: there are plenty of excellent translations already available should you wish to study the whole text in detail. Instead, over 16 chapters we have chosen to focus on 17 key sūtras which have immediate relevance to our practice. Further sūtras that relate to the main theme are then introduced and discussed in the body of each chapter.
There is no dearth of beginners' guides, resources and yoga courses available online and in bookshops. Rather than aimed at beginners, this book is intended for practitioners who are already familiar with the basics but would like to extend their knowledge of yoga to explore its history, philosophy and spiritual aspects, and how we might apply these in a modern context. We do not assume any prior knowledge of Sanskrit, however, and have endeavored to keep the linguistic explanations as clear and straightforward as possible. For ease of reference, we have included a glossary of Sanskrit terms at the back of the book, alphabetized according to our standard Roman system.
Throughout the book, a common motif appears: the three terms that make up the subtitle: support, direction and space. This triumvirate was formulated by Peter Hersnack and colored much of his brilliant and inspirational teaching. It is in many ways the most important touchstone for us. Only when you take support on something can a direction arise, which in turn opens up a space—and a spaciousness—in your practice, and in your life. This image works, as you will discover through much of the book, both as a metaphor and as a lived, bodily experience. It is a common thread that runs throughout the whole book, in different ways in each chapter.
Each of the chapters concludes with a section entitled Sādhana. Here you will find specific practices and practical ideas that illuminate the chapter's primary sūtra. Some āsana sequences and poses are suggested, and in other chapters, we focus more on prāāyāma or meditative practices. Some chapters contain a lot of detailed information on the mechanics of practice, and others are less elaborate, suggesting some simpler ideas to incorporate into your practice.
Sādhana is itself an important word. It is usually translated as “practice”—but the connotations of the Sanskrit term imply a different, deeper and more fully engaged attitude towards whatever it is you are practicing. Sādhana is the very means to perfection; it requires commitment, openness and faith—and a mindful attention to the present moment. It is the fundamental process which refines our very being.
When we set up our yoga practice, we thought long and hard about a name. A mālā is a rosary or necklace on which beads are threaded—you may have seen them worn by Hindu or Buddhist priests, or hanging outside roadside souvenir stalls in India—and we felt that nothing summed up better our aspiration to create a supportive, supporting, and profoundly connected circle of yoga practitioners than “Sādhana Mālā.” Starting with a handful of students, this “virtuous circle” has grown considerably, and many have gone on to become teachers, with students of their own. To all in the Sādhana Mālā family, we owe a debt of gratitude, not only for the financial support in crowdfunding the first edition of this book, but for the love, friendship—and sometimes patience and forbearing—that have got us this far.
Our yoga tradition is not static, handed down unchanged from one generation to the next like an antique or heirloom, but is alive and dynamic. We have received “cuttings” from the “sādhana tree” nurtured by our teachers, and pass on our own “cuttings” to students in the hope that they will take root and flourish in the future.
Ranju Roy & David Charlton
Sādhana Mālā
2019