Yoga Teacher Resource Podcast Why do we study the yoga sutras?
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is considered standard reading in yoga teacher trainings all over the world and many scholars spend a lifetime studying the history and meaning behind this enigmatic text. This week’s episode is an exploration of why, as modern day teachers of primarily yoga posture practice, we study this ancient yogic text.
Insights from this episode include:
- Why the yoga sutras has such a prominent place in modern postural yoga.
- The particular style, structure, and significance of the yoga sutras as a piece of Indian literature.
- recent theories and understandings about this enigmatic text.
- A comparison of the literary vs. the oral tradition of the yoga sutras
- How the yoga sutras are connected to modern yoga lineages such as Iyengar, Ashtanga, power yoga, and vinyasa yoga.
Links and Resources
Register for Teaching the Yoga Sutras Weekend with Mado September 7th & 8th (Early bird discount ends August 7th)
The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali: A Biography by David Gordon White
Recommended translations:
Edwin Bryant (most comprehensive - current gold standard translation, but overwhelmingly long at 672 pages)
Chip Hartranft (less comprehensive, but a bit more accessible)