277. "Stop it!" Bob Newhart, and thought replacement therapy.
Release Date: 05/20/2025
294. 2:40 Śauca... Clean up your side of the street.
My Daily Thread
Śauca — Sutra 2.40 Sanskrit (Transliteration) śaucāt svāṅga-jugupsā parair asaṁsargaḥ English Translation From purity arises a natural distaste for excess attachment to one’s own body and for contact with what clouds clarity. Plain-language meaning When purity develops: Obsession with the body loosens Craving, clutter, and unnecessary contact fall away You stop feeding what agitates you Key insight for listeners: Śauca isn’t about being “clean” — it’s about becoming less hijacked by impulses. Śauca in the Body Eat foods that leave you clear, not heavy ...
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293. Niyamas overview. Organizing our Inner Life.
My Daily Thread
शौचसन्तोषतपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः Niyamas 1:32. śauca-santoṣa-tapaḥ-svādhyāya-īśvara-praṇidhānāni niyamāḥ In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Niyamas are the inner disciplines of yoga. If the Yamas describe how we relate to the world around us, the Niyamas describe how we relate to ourselves. They are practical, grounded practices—not moral rules or spiritual ideals to perfect. They’re ways of organizing our inner life so that clarity, steadiness, and freedom become possible....
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292. " Man in the Arena"- Happy New Year from Teddy and me.
My Daily Thread
Man in the Arena In this episode, Jeff reads and reflects on one of the most enduring passages on courage and participation: Theodore Roosevelt’s “Theodore Roosevelt’” from his 1910 speech Citizenship in a Republic. This reflection isn’t about winning, achievement, or public success. It’s about something far more intimate and challenging — the willingness to step into the arena of our own lives, imperfectly and honestly, rather than standing safely on the sidelines as critics of ourselves or others. Through the lens of the Yoga Sutras, this episode explores how...
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291. Season Finale - Transcend
My Daily Thread
A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! As we usher out 2025, we play the yearly word game. A huge thank you to all the My Daily Thread Tribe! We an extra shout out to Peter and Laura, both who admitted that My Daily Thread was their number 1 Podcast in 2025! Now let's finish this season ... Choose the word that represents 2025, put it on paper, then send it back to the Universe with a big thank you! Choose your word for 2026, put it on paper, then send it to us in the comments. Stay safe everyone. Live. Love!! Om Peace Out! J
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290. Aparigriha ... and just letting go!
My Daily Thread
Sutra 2.39 अपारिग्रहस्थैर्ये जन्मकथन्तासम्बोधः Aparigrahasthairye janma-kathantā-sambodhah Word-by-Word Breakdown Aparigraha (अपारिग्रह) a = not / without pari = around, excessive, surrounding graha = grasping, holding, seizing → Non-possessiveness, non-grasping, freedom from hoarding Sthairye (स्थैर्ये) From sthira = steady, firm, stable In locative form: when established in steadiness → When one is firmly grounded in non-possessiveness Janma (जन्म) Birth,...
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Eunice Peterson on Trauma and Gratitude - Happy Thanksgiving
My Daily Thread
Join Jeff and Eunice Peterson as they discuss Trauma, Gratitude and Yoga. Jeff and Eunice will be conducting a workshop together at Yoga Passage in Calgary, Alberta on the weekend of November the 8th.
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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...
info_outlineWe continue our exploration through the Sādhana Pāda, arriving again at Yoga Sūtra 2.33 — a powerful and practical teaching that has everything to do with the life we’re living today.
vitarka-bādhane pratipakṣa-bhāvanam
वितर्कबाधने प्रतिपक्षभावनम्॥२.३३॥
“When disturbed by negative thoughts, cultivate the opposite.”
It’s deceptively simple yet deeply profound. This teaching lives not in theory but in everyday experience. It’s all too easy to be swept up in negative thoughts or drawn into negative conversations—especially in a world that thrives on fear, urgency, and comparison.
Today’s episode is about pragmatics. It’s about how we actually apply this teaching in the real moments of life. And here’s a key insight: the heat of the moment is not the time to plan your positive reframe. If you wait until the storm hits to find your center, it’s already too late.
So what’s the first step in pratipakṣa-bhāvanam? It’s to pause. And breathe.
I recommend this with a little humor too — if you need a laugh and a surprisingly effective reminder, go watch the classic Bob Newhart skit “Stop it.” It’s a two-minute masterclass in not letting your thoughts take over your life.
Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow0lr63y4Mw
Let’s bring it back to practice. When the negative thought arises — maybe it’s “I’m not good enough” or “I always mess this up” — stop. Breathe. And replace it.
Try:
“I’m growing.”
“I’m healing.”
“I’m flexible.”
“I’m strong.”
And if that feels like too much of a stretch, soften it:
“I’m willing to believe I can grow.”
“I’m open to being strong.”
“I’m willing to be willing.”
This is the essence of thought replacement therapy, rooted in ancient yogic mind training. We expand our emotional vocabulary. We build resilience. We create space for inner alchemy.
The opportunity is here, every day — to choose a more elevated thought, a more grounded presence, a more compassionate path.
But we have to choose it.
Again. And again.