270. Forget Love, jump to Ahimsa!?
My Daily Thread
we're continuing our journey through the Sādhana Pāda, the second chapter of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras. Let's remember where we’ve just been: in Sūtra 2.28, Patañjali says that through the consistent practice of yoga, particularly the eight limbs, the impurities dwindle and then—then!—“the light of discriminative wisdom arises.” YS 2.28 "Yogāṅgānuṣṭhānād aśuddhi-kṣaye jñāna-dīptiḥ āviveka-khyāteḥ" By the practice of the limbs of yoga, the impurities are destroyed and the light of wisdom arises, leading to discriminative discernment (viveka-khyāti). Then...
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269. The eight limbs, moving to mediation.
My Daily Thread
Jumping right in, friends—today we’re working with Yoga Sūtra 2.29, where Patañjali gives us what is often considered the classic blueprint of yoga: the eight limbs of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga. Yama-niyamāsana-prāṇāyāma-pratyāhāra-dhāraṇā-dhyāna-samādhayo’ṣṭāvaṅgāni “Yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna, and samādhi are the eight limbs of yoga.” These eight limbs aren’t just philosophical fluff—they’re the framework, the structure, the entire arc of yoga as a path of inner transformation. Now, in North America and much...
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268. Jñāna dīptiḥ. Let your light shine!
My Daily Thread
Dear followers of this thread, now begins the light of jñāna dīptiḥ, the illumination of wisdom. Jeff first went to India seeking the fiery discipline of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga as taught by Śrī K. Pattabhi Jois. He was drawn by the strength, the sweat, and the challenge. But what he ultimately discovered was a different kind of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga—the classical eight-limbed path described by Patañjali. And that deeper path, the one we’re now exploring, is why many of us are truly here, as Aṣṭāṅgīs, in the whole meaning of the word. So today, we arrive at Yoga Sūtra...
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267. Cultivating clarity, a practice for freedom.
My Daily Thread
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266. Practice is the path...
My Daily Thread
This is the sutra that kept Jeff returning to India, year after year, to dive deeper into Aṣṭāṅga Yoga. It was Patañjali’s words here that affirmed the path and ignited the faith to continue. There was something more than just movement—it was a promise that transformation comes through practice. yogāṅgānuṣṭhānād aśuddhi-kṣaye jñāna-dīptiḥ āviveka-khyāteḥ Through the sustained practice of the limbs of yoga, the impurities are destroyed, and the light of knowledge shines, leading to discriminative discernment. This sutra, YS 2.28, is incredibly special because...
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265. Let the light of discriminative wisdom dawn ..
My Daily Thread
Today’s on My Daily Thread our verse brings us to a powerful turning point in our journey through the Sādhana Pāda. The snippet of wisdom comes from Yoga Sūtra 2.28, and it holds a special place in my heart. So far, we’ve explored how the path of yoga helps us cultivate clarity and viveka-khyāti—discriminative wisdom—to see through confusion and recognize our true Self. That Self is described so beautifully in YS 1.3: tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe ’vasthānam Then the seer abides in their own true nature. And when we truly glimpse this reality—even for a moment—it...
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264. Unshakable!
My Daily Thread
We continue our journey through the Sādhana Pāda of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras. Last time, we studied Yoga Sūtra 2.26, which introduced us to the idea of viveka-khyāti—the unshakable discriminative wisdom that leads to freedom (kaivalya). This unwavering clarity, cultivated through dedicated practice, is the goal toward which all of yoga’s tools and disciplines are aimed. As we reflected previously, one of the powerful questions we can ask ourselves in daily life is: "Is this my true Self, my deepest intuition, or am I reacting from the chirping of my citta-vṛttis—the...
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263. Wisdom time! Is this true?
My Daily Thread
As we continue our deep dive into the Sādhana Pāda of the Yoga Sūtras, we return to Yoga Sūtra 2.27: tasya saptadhā prāntabhūmiḥ prajñā “For one with unwavering discriminative insight (viveka-khyāti), the highest wisdom (prajñā) unfolds in seven stages.” For someone who has developed steady clarity—viveka, discriminative wisdom—prajñā, insight, begins to unfold. But Patañjali doesn’t just say wisdom appears fully formed. Instead, he tells us it happens gradually, in seven stages (saptadhā prānta-bhūmiḥ), moving toward the farthest limit or edge of...
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262. The ground of wisdom... trying to be a wise guy?
My Daily Thread
We continue our journey through the Sādhana Pāda of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras. Last time, we studied Yoga Sūtra 2.26, which introduced us to the idea of viveka-khyāti—the unshakable discriminative wisdom that leads to freedom (kaivalya). This unwavering clarity, cultivated through dedicated practice, is the goal toward which all of yoga’s tools and disciplines are aimed. As we reflected previously, one of the powerful questions we can ask ourselves in daily life is: "Is this my true Self, my deepest intuition, or am I reacting from the chirping of my citta-vṛttis—the restless...
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261. Jeff chirping, A little review ...
My Daily Thread
Let’s do a little review to ground ourselves in the essential foundation of yoga philosophy. The entire project of yoga is based on Yoga Sūtra 1.2: yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ Translation: Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. In other words, yoga is the channeling, calming, or complete stoppage of all the citta vṛttis—the endless ripples and disturbances in the mind. These vṛttis include all the chirping thoughts, the conditioning from culture, the familial imprints we unconsciously carry, and every pattern that stands between us and clear, direct perception of...
info_outlineWe’ve been working with the Sādhana Pāda of the Yoga Sūtras, and this week our focus has been on a powerful verse—Yoga Sūtra 2.21:
tad-arthaḥ eva dṛśyasya ātmā
Translation: The very existence of the seen (dṛśya) is solely for the sake of the Seer (dṛṣṭṛ).
This teaching reminds us that everything in the external world exists to serve the evolution of our inner awareness. But that doesn’t mean we’re encouraged to become self-absorbed or narcissistic—this isn’t a green light for an “I, Me, Mine” mindset. That approach would just lead us right back into the grip of the kleśas, especially rāga (attachment to pleasure) and dveṣa (aversion to pain).
The word ātmā used in this sūtra speaks to the essence, the innermost self. It points toward the Vedāntic ideas of Ātman (individual soul or Self) and Brahman (universal reality), which echo the Sāṅkhya concepts of Puruṣa (pure consciousness) and Prakṛti (nature/matter). So, the real takeaway here is this: the entire dance of existence around us is not random. It’s actually unfolding for the sake of our awakening—for our liberation (kaivalya).
To live this out practically, it starts with mindful engagement with the world. Every experience—especially the uncomfortable ones—is an invitation to ask, “How can this moment help me see more clearly?” Instead of defaulting to grumbling, complaining, or negative mind loops, we can use life as a mirror for self-discovery.
Yesterday, we added the second insight: non-attachment to outcomes. So many of us are caught in the chase—after success, pleasure, validation. This is rāga in action. And when things don’t go as hoped, what follows? Frustration. Resentment. Disconnection. By softening our grip on results, we make space for a deeper, steadier peace.
That brings us to the third pillar: dharma—our purpose. Not just a job title or achievement, but a question of becoming. “Are my choices shaping me into the person I need to be?” This line of inquiry led us into our full week focused on relationships, and that essential question we keep returning to: “How am I showing up?”
All of this—the mindful engagement, the letting go, the purpose-driven living—cultivates our connection to the inner Seer, the draṣṭā. That still, wise witness within us. And yes, we can nourish that connection through seated meditation. But it might also come through movement—your swimming, your dancing, your running—those moments where the mind quiets and the deeper awareness emerges.
And to integrate even further, don’t forget the power of journaling. Giving yourself space to reflect, to pause in stillness, to notice what life is revealing to you. Because, always, life is bringing us something. Some teaching. Some mirror. Some gift. The invitation is to pay attention—to see.