289. Brahmacarya – True Strength: The Right Use of Energy
My Daily Thread
We continue our exploration of the yamas in Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras with the fourth principle: brahmacarya. This yama is often misunderstood, yet it carries profound wisdom for how we direct our energy in modern life. The sūtra is Yoga Sūtra II.38: brahmacarya-pratiṣṭhāyāṃ vīrya-lābhaḥ “When one is firmly established in brahmacarya, vitality is gained.” Sanskrit breakdown: brahmacarya — literally “moving in Brahman,” the creative spiritual essence. Traditionally translated as celibacy, but more broadly pointing to moderation, self-mastery, and alignment with...
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288. Asteya – The Abundance of Non-Stealing
My Daily Thread
Continuing the theme... Yoga Sūtra II.37, which speaks to the practice of asteya, or non-stealing. The sūtra reads: asteya-pratiṣṭhāyāṃ sarva-ratnopasthānam “When one is firmly established in non-stealing, all jewels present themselves.” — Edwin Bryant Let’s pause on this idea of pratiṣṭhām — being firmly established. When asteya becomes the foundation of how we live, “all the jewels” (sarva-ratna) naturally manifest. Things flow toward us — and isn’t that what we want? Who wouldn’t love a few more jewels? But here’s the key: these jewels don’t arrive...
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287. Asteya – don’t steal my primary series poster
My Daily Thread
287-Asteya – don’t steal my In this episode of My Daily Thread, we continue our exploration of the Yoga Sūtras, searching for practical wisdom we can apply every day. We’ve already covered ahiṃsā (non-harming) and satya (truthfulness). Now, we turn to the third yama: asteya — non-stealing, “not taking that which is not freely given.” Yoga Sūtra II.37 says: asteya-pratiṣṭhāyāṃ sarva-ratnopasthānam Translation: “When one is firmly established in non-stealing, all jewels present themselves.” — Edwin Bryant: “All jewels manifest.” Sanskrit breakdown: ...
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286. Satya – The Power of Truthfulness
My Daily Thread
It’s been a minute — I took some time to get out to the mountains, visit friends, and reset. Now we’re back, continuing our journey through the Yoga Sūtras. If you want your own “sunset and reset,” check out the NOW is the time to check out the in Feb 2026. For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been exploring satya-pratiṣṭhām — being firmly established in truthfulness. I connected this with Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements and his call to “be impeccable with your word,” a modern echo of what Patañjali was pointing to. We need to be mindful of what we manifest...
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Dr Paul Bramadat - "Yogalands."
My Daily Thread
In this special episode we are happy to have Dr. Paul Bramadat back to chat about his book Yogalands. Paul Bramadat received his BA in religious studies from the University of Winnipeg (1990), his MA in religion and culture from McGill University (1993) and his PhD in religious studies from McMaster University (1998). He taught in the Religious Studies Department at the University of Winnipeg from 1998 until 2008. In addition to directing the CSRS since 2008, Paul holds teaching appointments in the Department of History and the Religious Studies Program at the University of Victoria. Enjoy.
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285. Liar Liar ...
My Daily Thread
Today we’re taking another pass at satya, the second yama from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The sutra we’re focusing on is YS 2.36: satya-pratiṣṭhāyāṁ kriyā-phala-āśrayatvam—when one is firmly established in truth, their actions bear fruit. This is a powerful idea. It suggests that when we are rooted in truth, what we say comes to life. Something here touches on the modern idea of manifestation but is grounded in yogic ethics—truth as a force, not just a concept. But Satya isn’t just “don’t lie.” That’s only the surface level. The deeper understanding is about...
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284. Established in Truth!
My Daily Thread
YS 2.36 says: satya-pratiṣṭhāyām kriyā-phala-āśrayatvam — “When one is firmly established in truthfulness, then their words become so powerful that the result of action rests upon them.” We’re back in the section of the Yoga Sutras that deals with pratiṣṭhā, being deeply and firmly established in a state of being. This time, the quality is satya, truthfulness. Patanjali says that when truth becomes our natural state—when we’re rooted in it, consistent with it—then even our words start to carry the power of truth. It’s not that we control outcomes like magic. But...
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283. A mercy that starts inside...
My Daily Thread
Yoga Sūtra 2.35 – ahiṁsā pratiṣṭhāyām tat-sannidhau vaira-tyāgaḥ When one is firmly established in non-violence, all hostility ceases in their presence. Today, we return to ahiṁsā pratiṣṭhām—being established in non-violence—as taught in Yoga Sūtra 2.35. We’ve already explored how the yamas and niyamas are not just rules, but deeply personal practices—moral and ethical disciplines that offer a framework for living. Simple? Yes. But easy? Not always. They are practices for managing our lives skillfully, for creating relationships rooted in integrity, peace, and...
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282. Ahimsa and our modern Matriarchs.
My Daily Thread
Yoga Sūtra 2.35 – ahiṁsā pratiṣṭhāyām tat-sannidhau vaira-tyāgaḥ When one is firmly established in non-violence, then all hostility ceases in their presence. Today, we reflect again on ahiṁsā pratiṣṭhām—being firmly established in non-harming. Patanjali teaches that this is not a casual virtue but a transformative power: when someone has deeply integrated non-violence into their being, conflict and aggression fall away in their presence. We see examples of this principle embodied in historical figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Fred Rogers,...
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281. A Non-violent default setting ...
My Daily Thread
Today, we return to our study of aṣṭāṅga yoga, the eight-limbed path outlined by Patañjali. As a reminder, the eight limbs are: Yama – ethical restraints Niyama – personal observances Āsana – posture Prāṇāyāma – breath regulation Pratyāhāra – withdrawal of the senses Dhāraṇā – concentration Dhyāna – meditation Samādhi – absorption or union The first four limbs are external practices—disciplines that we can actively cultivate through behavior and intention. The final four, the internal limbs, arise naturally from the consistent and...
info_outlineWe 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 modifications of the mind—acting out of old fears, projections, and misunderstandings?" Cultivating viveka (discernment) becomes a way of life, a constant inner inquiry.
Today, we introduce Yoga Sūtra 2.27:
tasya saptadhā prāntabhūmiḥ prajñā
Translation: "For the one whose wisdom is unbroken, the highest knowledge (prajñā) unfolds in seven stages."
The word supta comes up here, which may bring to mind memories from Pattabhi Jois' led classes where he would say, "Supta, inhale, jump!" during vinyasa transitions. In this context, however, supta (from supta-prānta-bhūmiḥ) refers not to sleep, but metaphorically to reaching certain "grounds" or "stages" of progress toward full awakening.
Prānta means "limit" or "edge," bhūmiḥ means "ground," and prajñā refers to "wisdom," "insight," or "discriminative knowledge." Altogether, the sutra suggests that unwavering discriminative insight (viveka-khyāti) naturally progresses through seven levels or stages, leading to complete freedom from the citta-vṛttis—the whirlpools of the mind.
Interestingly, Patañjali does not specify what these seven stages are. This omission reminds us that he was compiling and distilling teachings from the oral traditions of his time rather than giving us a rigid textbook. Different later commentators, like Vyāsa and others, have offered suggestions about what these stages might be, but fundamentally the message remains: if we develop steady clarity and stay still long enough, wisdom naturally unfolds.
Thus, the focus remains simple and profound: cultivate steady, uninterrupted discriminative wisdom. Let go of attachments to roles, possessions, emotions, and fears, and steadily return again and again to the deepest awareness of your true nature.