Page Table Of Contents

1. What Are Sutra Studies?
2. Study Articles/Prompts
   1. A 77 Weeks (Or How Fast/Slow You Want To Go Through It) Series
3. Weekly Check-Ins
4. Podcast Reflections
5. Get Points For Your Sutra Studies Reflections By Completing The Work Course

What Are Sutra Studies?

Click Here For An Overview On Getting Started With The Series

Click Here For Details On Our Study Foundation

Click Here For The Sutra Studies Library/Reference Guide

Study Articles/Prompts

A 77 Weeks (Or How Fast/Slow You Want To Go Through It) Series

• Sutra Studies Week 1: Letting Go And Starting Anew
  Like outfits that we no longer fit into or feel our best wearing, sometimes the expressions that we once called our identity, and in which we may have once felt best suited, can evolve to points where they no longer serve us and who we are in the present. … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 2: Your Practice Is Your Path (Sutra 1)
  “Now the exposition of Yoga is being made.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Atha Yoganusasanam Atha: Now | Yoga: Yoga (Union) | Anusasanam: Exposition (comprehensive explanation or display)/Instruction/Discipline/Regiment/Order We all know, or should know by now, that the only way to truly develop skill and gain mastery in any area, regardless of any natural predisposition … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 3: On Mind Mastery | Choose To “Love More Worry Less” (Sutra 2)
  “The restrain of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Yogas Chitta Vrtti Nirodhah Yogas: Yoga is | Citta: Mind-field | Vrtti: Modifications | Nirodhah: Restraint Yoga is a practice that is primarily devoted to having restraint over the changes and fluctuations of the mind. In your practice, the main … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 4: Looking Into The Mirror Of Your Projected Mind (Sutra 3)
  “Then the Seer (Self) abides in Its own nature.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Tada Drastuh Svarupe’vasthanam Tada: then | Drastuh: the Seer | Sva: own | rupe: in (itself) color/nature | Avasthanam (Vasthanam): abides “[T]he Seer, or true you, reflects in the mind which is your mirror. Normally, you can’t see the true Self … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 5: Discovering Your True Self Identity (Sutra 4)
  “At other times [the Self appears to] assume the forms of the mental modifications.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Vrtti Sarupyamitaratra Vrtti: modification/distortion | Sarupyam: assumes form, identification | Itaratra: at other times “[W]ithout any identifications [to which I will add, with your body, mind, culture, history, accomplishments, bank account, etc], who are you? Have … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 6: Let Your Thoughts Be Your Guidepost (Sutra 5)
  “There are five kinds of mental modifications which are either painful or painless.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Vrttayah Pancatayyah Klistaklistah Vrttayah: modifications/distortions | Pancatayyah: fivefold | Klista: painful | Aklistah: painless “If you really want to be selfish [for any reason, whether it is because you feel that you cannot help it, or just … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 7: The 5 Types Of Mental Distortions According To Patanjali (Sutras 6-11)
  “They are right knowledge, misconceptions, verbal delusion, sleep and memory.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Pramana Viparyaya Vikalpa Nidra Smrtayah Pramana: correct or right knowledge | Viparyaya: misconception, incorrect knowledge | Vikalpa: verbal delusion, imagination | Nidra: sleep | Smrtayah: memory (grouping all 5) The aim of Yoga practice is to, after paying attention to … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 8: Gaining Control Of The Mind Through Practice And Non-Attachment (Sutra 12)
  “These mental modifications are restrained by practice and non-attachment.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Abhyasa Vairagyabhyam Tannirodhah Abyasa: practice | Vairagya: non-attachment (abhyam: by both) | Tad (tan): they | Nirodhah: restrained The two key things that are required in order to gain control of your mind, and to achieve noteworthy results on your Eightfold … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 9: Practicing At All Times (Sutra 13)
  “Of these two, effort toward steadiness of mind is practice.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Tatra Sthitau Yatno’bhyasah Tatra: of these | Sthitau: in steadiness | Yatnah (yatno): effort | Abhyasah: practice “[B]ecome eternally watchful, scrutinizing every thought, every word and every action.” -Sri Swami Satchidananda There is a need to continuously make effort and … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 10: Practicing Continuously And With Commitment For As Long As It Takes (Sutra 14)
  “Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break and in all earnestness.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Sa Tu Dirgha Kala Nairantarya Satkarasevito Drdhabhmih Sah (sa): this | Tu: and | Dirgha: long | Kala: time | Nairantarya: without break | Satkara: earnestness | Asevito: well attended to | … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 11: Freedom From [Meaning Non-Attachment], Not Denouncement of, Desire Brings Peace (Sutra 15)
  “The consciousness of self-mastery in one who is free from craving from objects seen or heard about is non-attachment.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Drstanusravika Visaya Vitrasnasya Vasikara Samjna Vairagyam Drsta: seen, experienced | Anusravika: heard | Visaya: object | Vitrsnasya: of him who is free from cravings | Vasikara: mastery | Samjna: consciousness, clear … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 12: How Earthly Desires [Pleasures] Have No Comparison To Connection With One’s Highest Expression (Sutra 16)
  “When there is non-thirst for even the gunas (constituents of Nature) due to the realization of the Purusa (True Self, seed of manifested consciousness that animate the elemental physical form), that is supreme non-attachment.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Tat Param Purusa Khyater Gunavaitrsnyam Tat: that | Param: supreme | Purusa: True Self manifested | … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 13: Contraindications For Samadhi | A Lesson For All Yoga Practitioners, But Particularly For Healers, Teachers, And Those Who Are In Service To Their Spirit, A Cause, Or To Others (Sutra 17)
  “Samprajnata samadhi is accompanied by reasoning, reflecting, and pure I-am-ness.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Vitarka Vicaranandasmitanugamat samprajnatah Vitarka: reasoning | Vicara: reflecting | Ananda: rejoicing | Asmita: pure I-am-ness | Anugamat: due to the following, from accompaniment | Samprajnatah: distinguishing, discerning; [samadhi: contemplation] “There is a danger [in attaining Samadhi]…but we have to face … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 14: What Does It Mean To “Be In The World But Not Of It” (Sutra 18)
  “By the firmly convicted practice of the complete cessation of the mental modification, the impressions only remain. This is the other samadhi [asamprajnata samadhi].” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Virama Pratyayabhyasa Purvah Samskaraseso’nyah Virama: complete cessation | Pratyaya: content of mind (mental modification) | Abhyasa: by the practice | Purvah: of the previous | Samskara: … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 15: On Spiritual Rebirth (Sutra 19)
  “Those who merely leave their physical bodies and attain the state of celestial deities, or those who get merged in Nature, have rebirth.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Bhavapratyayo Videha Prakrtilayanam Bhava: existence, birth | Pratyayah (pratyayo): content of mind (mental modification) | Videha: bodiless (gods/spirits) | Prakrtilayanam: merged into nature When Union is attained … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 16: The Path To/of Deep Contemplation (Sutra 20)
  “For the others, this asamprajnata samadhi could come through faith, vigor, memory, contemplation and/or by discernment.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Sraddhaviryasmrtisamadhiprajnapurvaka Itaresam Sraddha: faith | Smrti: memory | Samadhi: contemplation | Prajna: discernment, wisdom, insight | Purakah: precedes | Itaresam: for the others If one does not attain, or maintain, Samadhi (or more specifically … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 17: Speeds Of Travel Towards Samadhi (Sutras 21-23)
  “To the keen and intent practitioner this [samadhi] comes very quickly. (Sutra 21)*The time necessary for success further depends on whether the practice is mild, medium or intense. (Sutra 22)*Or [samadhi is attainted] by devotion with total dedication to Isvara [Supreme Purusa/pure self/pure consciousness/the I Am/the original unchanging and unafflicted source of all things]. (Sutra … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 18: The Truth That Your Pure Self Cannot Be Corrupted (Sutra 24)
  “Isvara is the supreme Purusa (Pure Self), unaffected by any afflictions, actions, fruits of actions or by any inner impressions of desires.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Klesa Karma Vipakasayairaparamrstah Purusavisesa Isvarah Klesa: afflictions | Karma: actions | Asayaih: storehouse of impressions left by desires | Aparamrstah: unaffected by | Purusa: self, soul | Visesah: … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 19: Your Infinite Potential To Know (Sutra 25)
  “In Isvara is the complete manifestation of the seed of omniscience.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Tatra Niratisayam Sarvajnabijam Tatra: there [in Isvara] | Niratisayam: unsurpassed manifestation, above the highest | Sarvajna: omniscience | Bijam: seed The reality of our creation on an existential level is nothing short of magnificent, and the fact that our … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 20: The Timeless, Limitless, Guru (Sutra 26)
  “Unconditioned by time. Isvara is the teacher of even the most ancient teachers.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Sa Purvesam Api Guruh Kalenanavacchedat Sah: He | Purvesam: of the ancients | Api: even | Guruh: teacher | Kalena: by time | Anavacchedat: unconditioned, uncut from.  According to Merriam Webster dictionary, the word teach, which is … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 21: The OM (AUM) Sound And Symbol In Yoga (Sutra 27)
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• Sutra Studies Week 22: Developing Personal Connection With OM/AUM (Sutra 28)
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• Sutra Studies Week 23: Moving From A Japa A Day to “Ajapa Japa” In Your Mantra Repetition Practice (Sutra 29)
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• Sutra Studies Week 24: The 9 Main Obstacles To Samadhi On Your Eightfold Path [And How To Avoid/Overcome Them] (Sutra 30)
  “Disease, dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, sensuality, false perception, failure to reach firm ground and slipping from firm ground gained–these distractions of the mind-stuff are the obstacles.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Sutra (Thread) or Lesson 30: Vyadhi Styana Samsaya Pramadalasyavirati Bhrantidarsanalabdhabhumikatvanasthitatvani Chittaviksepaste’ntarayah Vyadhi: disease | Styana: dullness | Samsaya: doubt | Pramada: carelessness | Alasya: laziness … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 25: The Trauma And Suffering Caused By Separation From The Source And The True Self (Sutras 31-32)
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• Sutra Studies Week 26: The Way You Look At Others Should Not Disturb Your Inner Peace (Sutra 33)
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• Sutra Studies Week 27: The Breath-Mind Connection (Sutra 34)
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• Sutra Studies Week 28: Moving To Subtler Levels Of Awareness In Your Practice | Using Concentration On Your Senses To Gain Inner Peace (Sutra 35)
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• Sutra Studies Week 29: Focusing On The Blissful Light Within (Sutra 36)
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• Sutra Studies Week 30: Drawing Inspiration And Strength From Attained And Liberated Spirits And Minds (Sutra 37)
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• Sutra Studies Week 31: Using Sleep [And Dreams] For Steadiness Of Mind And To Prepare For Deeper Meditation (Sutra 38)
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• Sutra Studies Week 32: Doing What Works Best For You (Sutra 39)
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• Sutra Studies Week 33: Mastery Of Concentration (Sutra 40)
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• Sutra Studies Week 34: When Nothing Else Matters Or Exists Except The Object Of Your Focus (Sutra 41)
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• Sutra Studies Week 35: The First Type of Samprajnata Samadhi | Savitarka (Sutra 42)
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• Sutra Studies Week 36: The Second Type/Level of Samprajnata Samadhi | Nirvitarka (Sutra 43)
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• Sutra Studies Week 37: Samadhi On Subtle Objects And Transcending The Personal “I” | Samadhi Levels 3-5 – Moving From Samprajnata To Asamprajnata Samadhi & Beyond (Sutras 44-51)
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• Sutra Studies Week 38: Practice Starts With Accepting Pain & Discipline And Focusing On Higher Knowing And Being (Sutras 2.1-2.2)
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• Sutra Studies Week 39: The Five [Most Destructive] Obstacles To An Effective Sadhana Practice [Those That Eliminate Success On The Eightfold Path] (Sutras 2.3-2.9)
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• Sutra Studies Week 40: The Many Challenges Of Ego-Overidentification And How Meditation “Works Them Out” (Sutras 2.10-2.11)
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• Sutra Studies Week 41: The Breeding Ground For All Karma Is Rooted In The Five Obstacles Of ‘Ignorance, Egoism, Attachment, Hatred, And Clinging To Bodily Life’ (Sutra 2.12)
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• Sutra Studies Week 42: With Ignorance, Future Suffering Is Inevitable | With Knowledge That Leads To Union, Future Suffering Is Avoidable (Sutras 2.13-2.17)
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• Sutra Studies Week 43: Recognizing And Balancing/Controlling One’s Tendencies [Gunas] In Maya (Sutras 2.18-2.19)
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• Sutra Studies Week 44: The Seer Is Pure Consciousness Perceiving (Sutra 2.20)
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• Sutra Studies Week 45: What Binds You Holds The Key That Sets You Free (Sutra 2.21)
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• Sutra Studies Week 46: The One And Only Reality (Sutra 2.22)
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• Sutra Studies Week 47: The Ultimate Power Of Creation/Manifestation (Sutra 2.23)
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• Sutra Studies Week 48: Ignorance Was The Catalyst For Conscious Form (Sutra 2.24)
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• Sutra Studies Week 49: Pure Consciousness Is Not Changed, Defined, Nor Bound By Ignorance, Form, Nor Experience (Sutras 2.25)
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• Sutra Studies Week 50: Sustaining A Mind-Field That Grows No Seeds Of Ignorance (2.26)
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• Sutra Studies Week 51: Self-Realization/Self-Awareness Wipes Out All Ignorance, Making Room For The Full Development Of Wisdom (Sutra 2.27)
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• Sutra Studies Week 52: The Eight Purification Practices To Self-Realization (Sutras 2.28-2.29)
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• Sutra Studies Week 53: No Drama Just Yama | Stepping On The Path Of True Meritocracy With Fair And Equal Universal Standards (Sutra 2.30)
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• Sutra Studies Week 54: These Vows Are Universal | No One Gets An Exception, An Excuse, Or A Worldly Pass (Sutra 2.31)
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• Sutra Studies Week 55: Niyama | Letting Go Of The Ego (Sutra 2.32)
  “Niyama consists of purity, contentment, accepting but not causing pain, study of spiritual books and worship of God [self-surrender].” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Śauca Saṁtoṣa Tapaḥ Svādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni Niyamāḥ Sauca: purity | Samtosa: contentment | Tapah: accepting pain (heat) and not causing pain, to be purified by austerities, heat | Svadhyaya: study of spiritual books … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 56: Mental Alchemy | The Practice Of Transforming Disturbing/Negative Thoughts | With Worksheet #1 (Sutras 2.33-2.34)
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• Sutra Studies Week 57: What Yamas And Niyamas Give For The “Sacrifice” Of Lower Attachments (Sutras 2.35-2.45)
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• Sutra Studies Week 58: Asana, On The Eightfold Path, Is Balanced, Undisturbed, Posture That Creates Fitness On More Than One Level And For [Ultimately] A Non-Physical Spiritual Purpose (Sutras 2.46-2.48)
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• Sutra Studies Week 59: Lifting The Veil Over The Inner Light Through Pranayama Practice (Sutras 2.49-2.53)
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• Sutra Studies Week 60: Mastery Over The Effects Of Objects On The Senses And The Mind (Sutras 2.54-2.55)
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• Sutra Studies Week 61: Developing Your Mind For True Seeing And Getting To The Point Of Pure Being (Sutras 3.1-3.15)
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• Sutra Studies Week 62: Concentration And Focused Absorption Leads To Inner Accomplishment, Power, And Skill | This Is Not Magic; It Is Karma/Cause And Effect (Sutras 3.16-3.35)
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• Sutra Studies Week 63: Heightened Perception And Knowing Of The Self And “Non-Self” (Sutras 3.36-3.37)
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• Sutra Studies Week 64: Not Getting Stuck Due To Worldly Pursuits, Or Seduced By “Supernatural” And Super-Physical Accomplishments (Sutra 3.38)
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• Sutra Studies Week 65: Pure Being: Eternally Untouched And Unchanged By Temporary Form And Fleeting Experience | No More, No Less (3.39-3.50)
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• Sutra Studies Week 66: If You Have Just One Desire, Let It Be A Desire For Liberation Above All Else | Everything Else Will Keep You Trapped (Sutras 3.51-3.52)
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• Sutra Studies Week 67: Discernment Is A Valuable Guru (Sutras 3.53-3.54)
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• Sutra Studies Week 68: The Skill Of Discernment Develops Liberating Awareness And Perception (Sutra 3.55)
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• Sutra Studies Week 69: The Tranquil Mind Reflects The Pure Self (Sutra 3.56)
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• Sutra Studies Week 70: Conditioning Your Body-Mind For Spiritual Fitness (Sutra 4.1)
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• Sutra Studies Week 71: What Gets In The Way Of Your Evolution And Pure Expression (Sutras 4.2-4.6)
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• Sutra Studies Week 72: Connection Liberates, Attraction/Attachment Binds (Sutras 4.7-4.8)
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• Sutra Studies Week 73: On Manifestation And Clearing Lower Attachments To Reveal The True Light Of The “Supreme” Self (Sutras 4.9-4.14)
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• Sutra Studies Week 74: Things Are As They Are, But Perspective Is Relative; The Mind Needs To Be Colored By A Thing And Be Clear Itself To Clearly See A Thing, But Only From Its Perspective (Sutras 4.15-4.17)
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• Sutra Studies Week 75: This Truth Is Self-Evident | Test It And There Will Be Proof; No Belief Is Necessary (Sutras 4.18-4.26)
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• Sutra Studies Week 76: The Path Is Cleared When “You” Get Out Of The Way (Sutras 4.27-4.33)
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• Sutra Studies Week 77: Consciousness Settles Into Its Own Nature (Sutra 4.34) | Final Sutra/End Of The Sutra Studies Series
  “Thus, the supreme state of Independence manifests while the Guṇas reabsorb themselves into Prakṛti, having no more purpose to serve the Puruṣa. Or [to look from another angle] the power of pure consciousness settles in its own pure nature.” –The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Puruṣārthaśūnyānām Guṇānām Pratiprasavaḥ Kaivalyam Svarūpa Pratiṣṭhā Vā Citiśakter Iti Puruṣa: Self, … Read More … Read More

Weekly Check-Ins

• Sutra Studies Week 1: Check-In | You Must Let Go In Order To Grow
  Regardless of how terrifying letting go may be or feel, always remember that shedding the old and unwanted aspects of your life, and of “yourself,” in order to let go of what no longer serves or defines you is actually getting you closer to fully living your truth and being all that you are, and … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 2: Check-In | Being Grateful For your Body And the Life That It Sustains
  Did you consciously move and breathe today? Have you thanked your body for functioning, or your lungs for breathing in air without you ever having to think about it? What about sending appreciation to your heart for distributing oxygen throughout your vessel in order to keep your cells and organs functioning? Whether you complete a … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 3: Check-in | Why Practice Yoga?
  When we practice Yoga each day, we gain mastery of/over the most important thing that we really have (or need to have) control of in our lives; we gain control of our self (in the form of the ego-body-mind). And with this control, we can then gradually eliminate all false self-expressions from our being, such … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 4: Check-in | Ask Yourself This Question Every Day
  What small improvements are you making to move you closer to your higher expressions today?
• Sutra Studies Week 5: Check-in | Our Connection To All Of Creation
  We now know that all of creation emerged from one singular event, and our science further teaches us that all humans came from the same common ancestors (the artist Enigma, and many others, even wrote songs about this), but our world has been shaped by the concept of our separateness for so long that the … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 6: Check-In | The Greatest Christmas Gift You Can Give To Yourself And Others
  Don’t let your Christmas spirit only be reserved for the holiday season. Always remember that your well-intentioned thoughts, words, and actions are the greatest gifts that you can give to yourself and to those around you. … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 7: Check-In | Letting Go Of Mental Distortions And Suffering Through Mindfulness
  The Four Noble Truths, and quest for enlightenment through the Eightfold Path, reminds all seekers that they must let go of the mental distortions that weight them down and keep them entangled/attached in the perpetual cycle of suffering that is inevitable for our species when they cling tightly to distortions that cause them to over-identify … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 8: Check-In | Remain A Neutral Observer Of Yourself And Your Life
  Have you been practicing detachment and neutral observation of your mind this week? … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 9: Check-In | Make Peace Your Natural State
  Your practice does not have to be “perfect” at all times; it simply has to remain consistent. This week, we continued to focus on stressing out about less (and to a greater degree than before) and your task was to observe yourself at all times in order to effectively gage whether your thoughts, words, actions … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 10: Check-In | The Prerequisites For Success In Yoga
  Yoga can be practiced in every single moment since it is a personal development lifestyle choice that is accomplished through the synergy of numerous different, but complementarity, types of inner and outer work. Mastery will always come with continuous practice of anything, and Yoga is no exception to this fact. … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 11: Check-In | How Attachment To Desires Creates Suffering And Wasted Energy
  If you are stressed about the outcome of a situation, feeling pain and/or anxiety when you think about obtaining a goal, or generally feel frazzled, overly excited, or drained when you think about the future, the chances are that you are mentally, emotionally, physically and/or spiritually attached to one desire or more, and this is … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 12: Check-in | Why You Lose Interest In Lower Desires When You Connect To The Truth Of Who You Really Are
  The human animal, like all other animals on planet Earth, is an inherently terrified creature whose primary aim is to stay alive. After that preservation of life, our species then pursues pleasure, and attempts to avoid pain, based on our need to feel safe (even in times when we are not in actual danger). Because … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 13: Check-In | Why Yoga Is One Of The Highest Forms Of Service (When All Limbs Are Practiced)
  Yoga is both inner and outer work. Practicing Yamas teach you to see, and honor, your connection with, and to, all of existence. Niyamas teach you how to be responsible for caring for your individual expression in the world. Asanas teach you how to care for, heal, and preserve your physical vessel. Pranayamas teach you … Read More … Read More
• Week 14: Check-In | Some Points On Self-Reflection And Self-Expression (Moving From Distinguished To Undistinguished Samadhi In Yoga)
  Looking at (pun accepted) the selfie as a product, and a tool, in our society is a good way to better understand how ego-overidentification and solidification works. This is because the selfie assumes that, through a photographic image of one’s external layers of flesh and hair, the visible projection of one’s fat, muscles, and skeletal … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 15: Check-in | On Reincarnation And Rebirth
  Experience with no judgement of good nor bad, in action, and at rest, is a valuable teacher. It allows you to discern truths from untruths by developing knowledge of yourself and the world. And it allows you to understand, with the depth of your being, whether you are, or are not, on the best path … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 16: Check-in | Pathways To Asamprajnata Samadhi (With Infographic)
  According to Patanjali, there are two ways in which the state of Undistinguished, or Asamprajnata Samadhi (marked by being completely void of mental modifications), can occur. One pathway is through reaching this state of consciousness via “celestial/cosmic” connection that makes one’s mind and being brand new/”rebirthed,” (for the “last time”) into full self-awareness (which can … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 17: Check-in | The Result Of Commited Practice
  It is obvious that, with practice, you can get better at, or gain mastery in, anything. Samadhi, and any other state of consciousness, is no different from anything else. The more you practice the closer you get to your goal, and the better at practicing you get, the faster you get to your goal.
• Sutra Studies Week 18: Check-In | The True Self Of Samadhi (And Beyond)
  Yoga, especially Yoga that is focused on achieving a state of Samadhi, asks its practitioners to go far above and beyond normal self-development work, and far above and beyond selfish aims even while simultaneously working through the “self” to obtain one’s paradoxically eternally present self/Self-liberation. In this way, Yoga has only one purpose, although it … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 19: Check-In | The Intelligence And Magnificence Of Existence
  We often take the spectacularity of our existence for granted. We go about our days rotating, without catastrophe, through space and time while inhabiting one of the most complex vessels in all of existence. And we often do so without ever pausing for a moment to acknowledge the highly complex system(s) of intelligent function and … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 20: Check-In | Becoming Attuned To The Knowledge, Teacher, And Astute Observer Within
  We are all teachers and students in, and of, life, and every experience that we have, every person who we encounter, every member of another species that we interact with, every event that we witness, and even every object that we use to function in the world and carry out our daily lives has the … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 21: Check-In | As Above, So Below (Sutra 27)
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• Sutra Studies Week 22: Check-in | What Goes Into An Effective Japa/Mantra Repetition Practice?
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• Sutra Studies Week 23: Check-In | Honoring Your Sankalpa/Commitment To Your Japa Practice
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• Sutra Studies Week 24: Check-In | What Focus Means For Your Positive Movement Forward
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• Sutra Studies Week 25: Check-In | Finding And Creating Inner Peace (Even Through Pain)
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• Sutra Studies Week 26: Check-In | Keeping Things In Perspective In Your Yoga Practice
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• Sutra Studies Week 27: Check-In | Yogic Breathing And Pranayama Foundations
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• Sutra Studies Week 28: Check-In | The Importance Of Self-Awareness For Sensory Control
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• Sutra Studies Week 29: Check-In | Keeping Your Inner Light Bright No Matter What
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• Sutra Studies Week 30: Check-In | Connection Through Shared Oneness
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• Sutra Studies Week 31: Check-in | Gaining Insight From Dreams [With Guided Yoga Nidra Exercise]
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• Sutra Studies Week 32: Check-In | Finding Your Personal Yoga Style And Route Back To Your Self
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• Sutra Studies Week 33: Check-In | What Does It Means To Practice Concentration?
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• Sutra Studies Week 34: Check-In | Being One With The Object Of Your Attention
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• Sutra Studies Week 35: Check-In | Discernment, And Knowing
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• Sutra Studies Week 36: Check-In | Total Surrender To Your True Self
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• Sutra Studies Week 37: Check-In | What Are Attachments & Compulsions And What Does Liberation Mean
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• Sutra Studies Week 38: Check-In | Your Nature Beyond Fear – Evolving With Life
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• Sutra Studies Week 39: Check-In | Creating Destruction And Suffering In The Pursuit Of Endless Empty Desires And Egoic Distortions Is One Of The Ultimate Manifestations Of Human Ignorance
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• Sutra Studies Week 40: Check-In | Removing The Shackles And Veil Of Maya/Illusion
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• Sutra Studies Week 41: Check-In | Non-Attachment (Vairagya) Has To Be Complete To Gain True Self-Mastery And Liberation
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• Sutra Studies Week 42: Check-In | Only Direct Experience Will Get You To Your Goal
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• Sutra Studies Week 43: Check-In | What It Truly Means To Control/Transcend The Gunas
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• Sutra Studies Week 44: Check-In | Tuning Into The “All That Is”
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• Sutra Studies Week 45: Check-In | Life Is Here For The All-Seeing
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• Sutra Studies Week 46: Check-In | Knowing The Self Through Experience
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• Sutra Studies Week 47: Check-In | The Power Of Duality Reflected By The Power Of The Absolute
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• Sutra Studies Week 48: Check-In | Transcending The Illusion Of Darkness And Light
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• Sutra Studies Week 49: Check-In | Seeing Love/Pure Consciousness In All Things And Connecting With Others Beyond Personhood
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• Sutra Studies Week 50: Check-In | The Ignorance Of Unconscious Bias (For Example Racial Bias) Is Often Tied To A Strong Attachments To Ego-Identity For Most
  I once sat at a kitchen table with a person who claimed to be “race/color-blind;” a person who claimed to see “all people as they are.” We sat together so that I could oversee his completion of an emotional intelligence test that involved people from different “races.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 51: Check-In | The Distinction Between Pain And Suffering (Ignorance And Knowledge/Awareness)
  Making the distinction between pain and suffering, or ignorance and knowledge, is simple in principle, but the distinction often requires a high level of discernment, which is where things fall apart for most people. If a person is steeped in ignorance, egoism, hatred, attachment, or clinging to bodily life due to fear of death, annihilation, … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 52: Check-In | Spiritual Practice Is Attuning With Reality And Acknowledging/Understanding The Nature Of Dense reality/Maya
  Spirituality is not a theoretical endeavor; it is a practical journey/experience: it is life lived in alignment with the Truth of your existence. … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 53: Check-In | It’s Simple And Simultaneously Complex, But Don’t Make It Complicated Or Harder Than It Needs To Be
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• Sutra Studies Week 54: Check-In | Abstinence Is The First Step To Freedom And It Deepens Your Awareness On Multiple Levels, Preparing You For Higher Practice
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• Sutra Studies Week 55: Check-In | Niyama Practice And The Greater Reality
  What are Niyamas (duties), and how do they individually, and collectively, support deeper self-purification and higher Self connection? How do they help to solidify the knowledge that we have discussed previously, and continue to build upon in our understanding of the Self and the greater Reality in which all exists and is expressed? … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 56: Check-In | Beyond The Ego-Perspective | Worksheet 2 – Developing Higher Cognitive Awareness And Mental Flexibility
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• Sutra Studies Week 57: Check-In | Once The “Strongest” Illusion Is Cleared The Foundation For Clearing All Other Illusions Flows Naturally From There
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• Sutra Studies Week 58: Check-In | Not Being Disturbed By Dualities
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• Sutra Studies Week 59: Check-In | Breaking Your Illusions Sets You Free From Maya
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• Sutra Studies Week 60: Check-In | Hormones, Desires, And Fears, Oh My! | Controlling Your Animal Nature To Be Seduced And/Or Distracted By “Pleasurable” To “Scary” Things
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• Sutra Studies Week 61: Check-In | The Self/Truth Is “Already There” – Take A Look Around
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• Sutra Studies Week 62: Check-In | Practice So You Know, Or You Will Not Clearly See The Full Picture
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• Sutra Studies Week 63: Check-In | Wait…There’s More…Super-Human Perceptions Are Not The Ultimate Goal
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• Sutra Studies Week 64: Check-In | If You Truly Want Liberation, You Must Release Your Attachment To All That Keeps You Trapped
  Endless desires will bring you endless suffering. And ongoing attachment to outcomes and objects (tangible and intangible) only leads to ongoing dissatisfaction and lack of fulfillment. This is guaranteed. … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 65: Check-In | Being Your Own Sanctuary | Remaining Free, Self-Sufficient, And In Peace By Staying Connected To Your Self And The Power Of All That Is Flowing Through You
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• Sutra Studies Week 66: Check-In | More Attachments, More Problems | Stay Pure And Focused On What Is True And Remain Free
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• Sutra Studies Week 67: Check-In | That Which Dispels Darkness (Your Guru) Reveals The Inner Light That Leads You Home To The Truth
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• Sutra Studies Week 68: Check-In | The State Of The World Only Reflects The State Of The Hearts And Minds Of The Collective
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• Sutra Studies Week 69: Check-In | The “Work” To Reduce Suffering
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• Sutra Studies Week 70: Check-In | Going Beyond Your Spiritual Conditioning Once The Right Conditions Have Been Met/Fitness Has Been Attained
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• Sutra Studies Week 71: Check-In | Look Beyond Appearance To What Is
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• Sutra Studies Week 72: Check-In | Dissolving Into Nothingness And Becoming A Clear Vessel For The Absolute To Be Expressed
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• Sutra Studies Week 73: Check-In | Being Completely Fulfilled With What Is While Expanding Freely, Without Attachment, Into More
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• Sutra Studies Week 74: Check-In | Ego-Body-Minds Colored With/By Ignorance And Attachment Are Only Purified Through Direct Contact With Absolute Knowledge Of/Awareness From The Self
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• Sutra Studies Week 75: Check-In | Your Gravitation Toward Absoluteness Leads To Liberation
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• Sutra Studies Week 76: Check-In | Pure, Uninterrupted Flow Of Consciousness/Awareness Frees You From The Bonds Of Karma And False Overidentification With Form
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• Sutra Studies Week 77: Check-In | Giving Everything Back To The Source, Including Your Body-Mind-Spirit, And Your Karma
  As we started to discuss in our Week 77 overview Self-Surrender begins with the understanding that you are not here to live for “yourself,” any one person (so do not allow anyone with delusionally overblown ego-fueled narcopathy or any other warped personality type tell you otherwise), nor are you here to live for any one … Read More … Read More

Podcast Reflections

• Sutra Studies Week 1: Reflection On Letting Go And Starting Anew
  Although starting over can sometimes feel like an incredibly difficult undertaking, always remember that in order for us to make room for who we are today we are often tasked with the important responsibility of letting go of many of the things, people, places, habits, lifestyles, dreams, and even desires that once defined us. Coming … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 2: Reflections On The Practice As The Path (Sutra 1)
  “Music has always been an important part of my life, and singing even more so since, from childhood, song has been my primary way to connect with my spirit and to safely work through emotions in order to express my feelings in a physical way without these emotions making too much of an impact in … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 3: Reflection on Mind Mastery | Choose To “Love More Worry Less” (Sutra 2)
  “When I say that everything that was created up until this point in history is simply a result of the choices, and different levels of consciousness, of the people who have existed and exist today on our planet, and that everything that will come from this point in time into the future is dependent on … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 4: Reflections On Looking Into The Mirror of Our Projected Mind (Sutra 3)
  “Oftentimes we avoid challenges, discomfort, and certain experiences in life because we are afraid of the pain that they will bring. But if we look at our difficult conversations, experiences, and encounters as powerful opportunities for us to grow and express our greatest selves in any given moment, we can transform any seemly painful or … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 5: Reflections On Discovering Our True Self Identity (Sutra 4)
  “When we calm our minds and remove all of our different identifications with sub identities…(and of course we would do this through the practice of meditation), we can not only then connect with the truth of our unity with all of existence, but, because we will have also simultaneously freed ourselves from our delusions, mental … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 6: Reflections On Letting Your Thoughts Be Your Guide (Sutra 5)
  “It is common knowledge that stress and negatively have definite impacts on our physiology, psyches, and overall health/well-being, but until we really look at what this means for us in our own personal experience, sometimes, we don’t fully ‘get it.’”
• Sutra Studies Week 7: Reflections On The Five Types Of Mental Distortions According To Patanjali (Sutras 6-11)
  From wishful thinking, to the spinning and outright denial of truth, our species has created societies that are often shaped by nothing more than illusions, or to draw from Plato’s infamous story of the cave, shaped by nothing more than mere shadows on a wall, and by the thoughts, words, and actions (karma) that result … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 8: Reflections on Gaining Control Of Your Mind Through Practice And Non-Attachment (Sutra 12)
  “At any given moment, you are free to be connected to all that you are…”
• Sutra Studies Week 9: Reflections On Practicing At All Times (Sutra 13)
  “If you practiced at all [this week], I want to take the time to congratulate you on simply sticking with this important undertaking since the act of practicing in and of itself is one major part of your journey. But, if you did not practice at all, or practiced very little, this week, well, then … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 10: Reflections on Practicing Continuously And With Commitment For As Long As It Takes (Sutra 14)
  What is your “why” for practicing? “When it comes to spiritual work, no one can ever define or understand it’s personal value except…[you], but the fact of the matter is that most people generally pursue self-development and spiritual work because they have a sense that it will somehow make them and their life better in … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 11: Reflections On Freedom From [Meaning Non-Attachment], Not Denouncement of, Desire Bringing Peace (Sutra 15)
  “The simple fact of the matter is that everyday human (and Earthly) experiences, and partaking in them consciously, can lead to one’s absolute liberation and connection with their divine expression, but before one can be liberated through, or by, these experiences, that person has to be liberated from them. The only way to do this … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 12: Reflections on How Earthly Desires Have No Comparison To Connection With One’s Highest Expression (Sutra 16)
  “First you drop your likes and dislikes like a scalding hot lump of coal, then you flush your memories and expectations down the toilet, after this you give your mind a good scrubbing from all residual emotional bonds, releasing them from your body in whatever way is most appropriate, and lastly, for the highest level … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 13: Reflections On The Contraindications For Samadhi (Sutra 17)
  “With greater awareness comes a fuller understanding and a fuller and more enriched life experience.”
• Sutra Studies Week 14: Reflections On What It Means To “Be In The World But Not Of It” (Sutra 18)
  Even your most prized opinions are attachments that you must dissolve in order to no longer be pulled and shackled by the illusions, and suffering, of the mind and the world. … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 15: Reflections On Spiritual Rebirth (Sutra 19)
  “[T]oday I will be reflecting on the concept of spiritual rebirth in Yoga, which is an event that marks the transition from the place on your path where you are done developing your necessary physical, emotional, and spiritual body…one that is healthy enough to bring your true self into the world when you are ready … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 16: Reflections On The Path To/Of Deep Contemplation (Sutra 20)
  “Patanjali wrote the Yoga Sutras after countless humans had lived and died before him and passed down their experiential knowledge and understanding of the self and what it means to be human to him. He and these individuals, collectively, contributed to the data on how to effectively use the full capacities of our very nature … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 17: Reflections On Speeds Of Travel Towards Samadhi (Sutras 21-23)
  “Remember to keep practicing each day with what you have to work with and you will get better and achieve your goals–no matter what you ultimately end up doing with your newfound abilities. Practice even just for the sake of your peace-of-mind. No other reason is necessary since that is the ultimate goal.”
• Sutra Studies Week 18: Reflections-The Truth That Your Pure Self Cannot Be Corrupted (Sutras 24)
  “The beauty of Yogic and other schools of spirituality that makes things extra convenient for us all is that some people took it upon themselves to look at the experience of connection scientifically (making an observation, formulating a hypothesis, testing that hypothesis, and then analyzing and reporting their results) so that we not only have … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 19: Reflections On Your Infinite Potential To Know (Sutra 25)
  “I am going to do this not by explaining the concepts that we have already discussed in our weekly studies to you in greater detail, but by supporting you to observe this awareness yourself, and within yourself, because I know that having awareness of this awareness is essential for success in your Yoga practice and … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 20: Reflections On The Timeless, Limitless, Guru (Sutra 26)
  “This ancient guru, or teacher, who is a part of all of us at all times, has guided numerous individuals who sought to look at and understand it for centuries, but we must always remember that the source itself is the ultimate teacher, not any individual expression of the source manifested into human or any … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 21: Reflections On The OM/AUM Sound And Symbol In Yoga (Sutra 27)
  “OM is…more than the one-or-two-line word translation that is often used for easy consumption in modern day society.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 22: Reflections On Developing Personal Connection With OM/AUM [Through Japa Practice] (Sutra 28)
  “I invite you to think of your Japa practice as a ladder that connects you to your true self and the truth of your existence. Every day, as you invoke the essence of your selected mantra into your body, mind, spirit, and being, picture yourself taking a step closer to merging with your truth and … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 23: Reflections On Moving From A Japa A Day to “Ajapa Japa” In Your Mantra Repetition Practice (Sutra 29)
  “Japa mantra practice is an effective way to clear all distractions and distortions away as you work to fully embody the truth of who you…are through your chosen mantra [each day].” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 24: Reflections On The 9 Main Obstacles To Samadhi On Your Eightfold Path (Sutra 30) [With Guided Audio Exercise/Meditation]
  “Distractions are inevitable in life, but staying stuck because of them, and allowing them to become obstacles on your path, is not. Distractions can only turn into obstacles if you allow them to grow unchecked or unaddressed for too long, otherwise, they are, interestingly enough, opportunities for your growth and positive movement forward.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 25: Reflections On Meditation As A Means To Create Freedom From The Trauma And Suffering Caused By Separation From The Source And The True Self (Sutras 31-32)
  “In Yoga, after you have practiced bringing or directing your attention to a common center or objective, first using gross and then subtle objects, the aim is to eventually make your focal point the essence and meaning of OM. You metaphorically move from the bottom of the symbol to the top and eventually focus on … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 26: Reflection On The Fact That The Way You Look At Others Should Not Disturb Your Inner Peace (Sutra 33)
  “I, like most people, grew up with the myth that all humans are inherently good, by nature, but this, idea, which most likely emerged from religious ideologies that attempted to shape the way humans understood the world and, therefore, influence their perceptive and behaviors in complex groups, is itself a distortion of the mind. Life … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 27: Reflections On The Breath-Mind (And Everything) Connection (Sutra 34)
  “[B]reath keeps you functioning optimally on multiple dimensions, from the cellular to the emotional.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 28: Reflections On Moving To Subtler Levels Of Awareness In Your Practice | Using Concentration On Your Senses To Gain Inner Peace (Sutra 35)
  “If you want to permanently remove the veil of illusion that prevents you from seeing the truth of your True Self, however, you will have to either let it go of all false identities completely through total surrender to the higher self (and total means fully here, by the way, there is no partial letting … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 29: Reflections On Focusing On The Blissful Light Within (Sutra 36)
  “In order to best access this “supreme, ever-blissful light within,” only two things are truly required.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 30: Reflections On Drawing Inspiration And Strength From Attained And Liberated Spirits And Minds (Sutra 37)
  “Keep this light in sight at all times because it is the best way to not lose your way in the darkness and illusory fog that covers this Earthly life experience.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 31: Reflections On Using Sleep [And Dreams] For Steadiness Of Mind And To Prepare For Deeper Meditation (Sutra 38)
  “[Y]ou can always get the help that you need from within you to recover from anything, and your subconscious mind is always standing by available to provide you with all that you need to do so.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 32: Reflections On Doing What Works Best For You (Sutra 39)
  “When you are able to identify the things that bring you joy and fulfillment, and know yourself deeply, and live as your true self in the world, understanding that others hold different experiences and perspectives and levels of consciousness, and that is OK (but not getting too involved or putting yourself in danger because of … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 33: Reflections On Mastery Of Concentration (Sutra 40)
  “Yoga’s aim is the create a pathway to light that will allow you to step into reality and see things as they are and where the true source of light comes from as you journey through to light within yourself.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 34: Reflections On When Nothing Else Matters Or Exists Except The Object Of Your Focus (Sutra 41)
  “One lie that I have noticed that many people often tell themselves is that they lack the ability to concentrate effectively when the fact that they are even able to worry about not focusing or able to string together a sentence long enough to express a thought, or even have a conversation, is a form … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 35: Reflections On The First Type of Samprajnata Samadhi | Savitarka (Sutra 42)
  “To get to this stage in the first place, the knower here would have had to remove much of their attachments to the distorted ego to focus on something else for long enough to become totally absorbed in their understanding if it, but (a detail that we will discuss further later on when we discuss … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 36: Reflections On The Second Type/Level of Samprajnata Samadhi | Nirvitarka (Sutra 43)
  “…[O]ne can only understand a thing to their level of comprehension, or as Dennis Brown’s sweet voice sang in Revolution, “many are called, few are chosen.” This is the same for Yoga. Many are called to either work on their bodies or learn some strategies for dealing with their suffering, and to manage, but not … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 37: Reflections On Samadhi On Subtle Objects And Transcending The Personal “I” | Samadhi Levels 3-5 – Moving From Samprajnata To Asamprajnata Samadhi & Beyond (Sutras 44-51)
  “But, it is not purely for transcending suffering alone that one travels this path…The liberation from suffering is only a side effect of the real reward of connection to the truth of who you really are.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 38: Reflections On The Fact That Practice Starts With Accepting Pain & Discipline And Focusing On Higher Knowing And Being (Sutras 2.1-2.2)
  “The body and the mind are simply gateways of perception and experience. If you remove the clutter from your gateways, with your breath, with your focus, with your walking your truth steadily, and so forth, you will attain union with the divine aspects of yourself…this is inevitable because this is who you truly are.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 39: Reflections On The Five Obstacles To An Effective Sadhana Practice (Sutras 2.3-2.9) [With Guided Meditation]
  “Your ego-self, which identifies with your body-mind instrument as if it were who you truly are, is your suffering vehicle, and to practice Nirodha (Nirodha Parinamh), or setting it aside to stand in the truth of your self brings peace and joy.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 40: Reflections On The Many Challenges Of Ego-Overidentification And How Meditation “Works Them Out” (Sutras 2.10-2.11)
  “This Seer [Drastuh] can enjoy pleasure without suffering, experience pain without suffering, and live without attachment to any of the constantly changing forms, compulsions, and experiences in the world.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 41: Reflections On The Breeding Ground For All Karma Is Rooted In The Five Obstacles Of ‘Ignorance, Egoism, Attachment, Hatred, And Clinging To Bodily Life’ (Sutra 2.12)
  “I lived after my car accident…I was literally untouched by the incident physically…I stepped out of my car, after staring out in disbelief for a moment, without one single scratch on me. A few days after the accident occurred, however, I, through my own thinking (or disposition at the time) touched something within me that … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 42: Reflections On The Fact That With Ignorance, Future Suffering Is Inevitable | With Knowledge That Leads To Union, Future Suffering Is Avoidable (Sutras 2.13-2.17)
  “Afterall, you are still here on Earth and living life amongst others who are looking at “you” and your body and have a wide range of levels of delusions that they may be projecting on it, [that they] are most likely unaware of, from expectations to attractions, aversions, perversions, hatreds, ignorance, lust, ego-ism and the … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 44: Reflections On The Fact That The Seer Is Pure Consciousness Perceiving (Sutra 2.20) [With Video]
  “The real question, therefore, is: ‘how can you take all that you are seeking outside of yourself in the illusion of Maya, and the foundational illusion that your limited sense of self causes (by the most prominent error of ego identification), and use the suffering that comes from it, to turn your focus inward and … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 45: Reflections On The Fact That What Binds You Sets You Free (Sutra 2.21) [Preview With Video]
  “Suffering, when you look at its function on your path, can guide you back to that within you which can never truly suffer, and once you gain that connection with the Truth (from insight and integrated experience–even just as a basic foundation from which to move forward and grow)…your suffering becomes a gift for your … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 46: Reflections On The One And Only Reality (Sutra 2.22)
  “All you have to do is drop it. Drop your ignorance, your ego, your attachment, your hatred (if you have picked up any), and your fear, and be the light of consciousness that you are expressed in (in physical and subtle form) in the world.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 47: Reflections On The Ultimate Power Of Creation/Manifestation (Sutra 2.23)
  “The cycle of death and rebirth governed by Karma, or cause and effect, continues to entice most humans to actions that simply lead to deeper disconnection from the true fulfillment that they seek simply because, paradoxically, there is no end to an unlimited nature.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 48: Reflections On Ignorance Being The Catalyst For Conscious Form (Sutra 2.24)
  “‘So,’ I have seen many ask, ‘with such a nature, how is it that anyone could become trapped within the confines of Maya, to begin with? How is it that anyone could suffer due to ignorance, egoism, attachment, hatred, and clinging to bodily life due to fear of death and destruction, mucking about with billions … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 49: Reflections On The Fact That Pure Consciousness Is Not Changed, Defined, Nor Bound By Ignorance, Form, Nor Experience (Sutras 2.25)
  Yoga “is a process (in any way that allows full embodiment for you) of coming into your True expression by understanding, regulating, and putting aside the limitations of your body-mind-ego identity in order to be your undistorted, unbounded, and liberated Self (that exists beyond suffering)…in the world.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 50: Reflections On Sustaining A Mind-Field That Grows No Seeds Of Ignorance (2.26) [Excerpt]
  “Now, the good news, fortunately, is that the eightfold path provides a clear roadmap to the dissolution of this ignorance that is systematic and easy to follow. The one thing to be aware of here…is that even with this seemingly clear path, due to the nature of your previous conditioning, you must enter the path … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 51: Reflections On Self-Realization/Self-Awareness Wiping Out All Ignorance, Making Room For The Full Development Of Wisdom (Sutra 2.27)
  “You have to drop your costumes and simply be your [pure, undistorted,] Self…in the world.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 52: Reflections On The Eight Purification Practices To Self-Realization (Sutras 2.28-2.29) [Excerpt]
  “This is your Dharana practice for the week.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 53: Reflections On No Drama Just Yama | Stepping On The Path Of True Meritocracy With Fair And Equal Universal Standards (Sutra 2.30) [Excerpt]
  “Yamas simply express Self knowledge in action.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 54: Reflections On The Fact That These Vows Are Universal | No One Gets An Exception, An Excuse, Or A Worldly Pass (Sutra 2.31)
  “Everything in life is propelling you toward this goal…” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 55: Reflections On Niyama | Letting Go Of The Ego (Sutra 2.32) [Excerpt]
  “Aren’t you grateful that no amount of ignorance, delusion, hatred, egoism, fear, attachment, and so forth will change or alter the Truth that is eternal and unchanging?” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 56: Reflections On Mental Alchemy | The Practice Of Transforming Disturbing/Negative Thoughts (Sutras 2.33-2.34) [Excerpt]
  “[Y]ou assume that you need them to understand and process experience and information, right? So, why would right knowledge be a vritti?” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 57: Reflections On What Yamas And Niyamas Give For The “Sacrifice” Of Lower Attachments (Sutras 2.35-2.45) [Excerpt]
  “Those who truly and fully have a solid foundation in Yama and Niyama practice, integrating these two limbs firmly into their life and personal being (and at their core, beyond the basic physical and social expression of abstinence and duties in the form of thoughts, words, and actions), transcend the ignorance of attachment to the … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 58: Reflections On The Fact That Asana, On The Eightfold Path, Is Balanced, Undisturbed, Posture That Creates Fitness On More Than One Level And For [Ultimately] A Non-Physical Spiritual Purpose (Sutras 2.46-2.48) [Excerpt]
  “Asana practice, which means developing and maintaining a steady and comfortable posture while navigating through Maya, on all levels from the physical to the mental and emotional and spiritual, is the best way to ensure that you do not waste your power of focus and attention on falsehoods instead of learning how to withdraw this … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 59: Reflections On Lifting The Veil Over The Inner Light Through Pranayama Practice (Sutras 2.49-2.53) [Excerpt]
  “When it comes to pranayama practice, there are infinite ways to engage in practice and infinite ways to work on clearing away stagnation and expanding your lifeforce energy.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 60: Reflections On Mastery Over The Effects Of Objects On The Senses And The Mind (Sutras 2.54-2.55) [Excerpt]
  “[R]enunciation and isolation support you to reduce the amount of external stimuli that can get you attached to sense objects like people, places, thoughts, things, and so forth in the world…” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 61: Reflections On Developing Your Mind For True Seeing And Getting To The Point Of Pure Being (Sutras 3.1-3.15) [Excerpt]
  “Humans have essentially been working as hard as they can to use their minds and egos to drop their minds and egos long enough to just be their pure undistorted Self for as long as their [perceived] disconnection from who they are has existed.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 62: Reflections On The Fact That Concentration And Focused Absorption Leads To Inner Accomplishment, Power, And Skill | This Is Not Magic; It Is Karma/Cause And Effect (Sutras 3.16-3.35)
  “In order to get to these states of being, you must have full access to your prefrontal cortex, the front part of your brain…which means that you have to be in a fully regulated body-mind that directs your energies to this center of awareness for deeper insight. Practicing, and becoming skilled in, all of the … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 63: Reflections On Heightened Perception And Knowing Of The Self And “Non-Self” (Sutras 3.36-3.37) [Excerpt]
  “Only the ego reads meaning into experience and tries neurotically to control nature through a variety of different Karmas as opposed to simply being in nature and fully allowing experience to take place in the same way that the experience of all that is takes place within the space of the silent nothingness from which … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 64: Reflections On Not Getting Stuck Due To Worldly Pursuits, Or Seduced By “Supernatural” And Super-Physical Accomplishments (Sutra 3.38) [Excerpt]
  “History has clearly illustrated, and a simple look around the world and on social media can clearly verify, that most people on our planet are stuck playing roles and identities within Maya that simply perpetuate suffering due to Karmas fueled by disconnection and ignorance. There is nothing new here and that is why thousands of … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 65: Reflections On Pure Being: Eternally Untouched And Unchanged By Temporary Form And Fleeting Experience | No More, No Less (3.39-3.50)
  “Super-physical accomplishments are obstacles in the same way that disease, doubt, ignorance, hatred, clinging to bodily life, failure to reach firm ground in your understanding and practice or slipping from firm ground, attachment, laziness, carelessness, dullness, sensuality, and false perception are obstacles on your path.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 66: Reflections On If You Have Just One Desire, Let It Be A Desire For Liberation Above All Else | Everything Else Will Keep You Trapped (Sutras 3.51-3.52) [Excerpt]
  “The world will constantly be bombarding you with attachments, selling you misery and disease, and sometimes covering it in sugar coated candy for your distraction and sensual indulgence…Other than basic reminders of what to avoid in order to not become lost out here in the world, you do not need to spend too much time … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 67: Reflections On The Fact That Discernment Is A Valuable Guru (Sutras 3.53-3.54) [Excerpt]
  “You have probably heard the platitude that you can be and do anything that you set your mind to in life…and this is absolutely true to a very large extent when it comes to worldly accomplishments and the typical objects and things that people tend to desire to accumulate and consume…but riddle me this, riddle … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 68: Reflections On The Fact That The Skill Of Discernment Develops Liberating Awareness And Perception (Sutra 3.55)
  “Pratipaska Bhavana is learning to cultivate the ability to distinguish where any given thought is leading. It is the practice of readjusting violent and hateful thoughts, and other types of thoughts that are steeped in ignorance, essentially, with that of the opposite… It is not allowing hatred or anger to take destructive root within your … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 69: Reflections On The Tranquil Mind Reflecting The Pure Self (Sutra 3.56) [Excerpt]
  “Nothing except the Self [the eternal, unchanging, incorruptible, Spirit within you and all things] is perfect, which is why the presence of any thoughts at all, even positive ones, will cover up your Absolute expression.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 70: Reflections On Conditioning Your Body-Mind For Spiritual Fitness (Sutra 4.1) [Excerpt]
  “Liberation…is the point of practicing.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 71: Reflections On What Gets In The Way Of Your Evolution And Pure Expression (Sutras 4.2-4.6)
  “What…is liberation? What does it mean to be liberated?” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 72: Reflection On The Fact That Connection Liberates, Attraction/Attachment Binds (Sutras 4.7-4.8)
  The conditions will not always be right to “attract” all worldly desires in any given lifetime. This is true regardless of the power or importance that you give to your desirous attachments in life. The only thing that is certain when it comes to seeking to manifest objects in this world is that your desirous … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 73: Reflections On Manifestation And Clearing Lower Attachments To Reveal The True Light Of The “Supreme” Self (Sutras 4.9-4.14)
  “Yamas and Niyamas are not accidently the foundational practices on the Eightfold path.” … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 74: Reflections On The Fact That Things Are As They Are, But Perspective Is Relative; The Mind Needs To Be Colored By A Thing And Be Clear Itself To Clearly See A Thing, But Only From Its Perspective (Sutras 4.15-4.17) [Excerpt]
  “…I will take the time in this reflection to simply remind those who are on the path of inner evolution–with earnestness, sincerity, and honesty–to remain centered in the Truth and the light. I am simply going to remind you today, that are you walking in the right direction, and to encourage you to continue to … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 75: Reflections On The Fact That This Truth Is Self-Evident | Test It And There Will Be Proof; No Belief Is Necessary (Sutras 4.18-4.26) [Excerpt]
  “[A]re you living life, or are you allowing the tools that you are using to navigate through life to limit you…? … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 76: Reflections On The Fact That The Path Is Cleared When “You” Get Out Of The Way (Sutras 4.27-4.33)
  “In Sutra 4.27 Patanjali reminds us that as you become rooted and grounded in your understanding of who you are beyond the fluctuations of your mind and form, you may experience distracting thoughts in between moments when your mind gravitates toward the Truth and Absoluteness, but do not be disheartened because these distractions can be … Read More … Read More
• Sutra Studies Week 77: Reflections On Consciousness Settling Into Its Own Nature (Sutra 4.34) | Final Sutra/End Of The Sutra Studies Series [Excerpt]
  “It has been an honor to share the teachings and personal commentaries that this sacred guide extracted and drew forth from within me to pass on to you, and I dedicate this work to the power and the Love of the Absolute flowing through me and all of existence, making this, and all things, possible.” … Read More

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