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_outlineToday, we continue our deep dive into Yoga Sūtra 2.34, staying with the powerful teaching of pratipakṣa bhāvanam—the deliberate cultivation of opposite, positive thoughts to replace harmful or negative ones. This is no abstract philosophy; it's a daily practice for those on the yogic path.
We begin by revisiting YS 2.33:
"vitarkāḥ hiṃsādayaḥ kṛta-kārita-anumoditāḥ lobha-krodha-moha-pūrvakāḥ mṛdu-madhya-adhimātrāḥ duḥkha-ajñāna-ananta-phalāḥ iti pratipakṣa-bhāvanam"
Negative thoughts, such as violence, whether done by oneself, instigated in others, or even silently approved of, arise from greed (lobha), anger (krodha), and delusion (moha). These may be mild, moderate, or intense. And the fruit of such thoughts is always suffering (duḥkha) and ignorance (ajñāna). Therefore, the remedy is clear: pratipakṣa bhāvanam—cultivating the opposite.
And now, YS 2.34 offers a continued emphasis:
"vitarkāḥ hiṃsādayaḥ kṛta-kārita-anumoditāḥ lobha-krodha-moha-pūrvakāḥ mṛdu-madhya-adhimātrāḥ duḥkha-ajñāna-ananta-phalāḥ iti pratipakṣa-bhāvanam"
Yes, the verse repeats, almost word for word, driving home the importance of this mental discipline. When negative thoughts arise—and they will—do not indulge, fight, or shame them. Pause. Breathe. Redirect. This is the essence of the yogic mind-training. It’s ancient neuroplasticity in action. What we practice, we become.
Patañjali’s wording is especially nuanced: the verse starts with hiṁsā, often translated as violence or harm, but follows it with ādayaḥ, meaning “etc.” He’s indicating that it’s not just physical harm, but any kind of negative mental manifestation—jealousy, judgment, resentment, comparison, fear.
To deepen this insight, we turn to the Bhagavad Gītā, Chapter 2, Verse 62:
"dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣūpajāyate |
saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho 'bhijāyate ||"
"When a person dwells on objects, attachment to them arises. From attachment comes desire, and from desire arises anger, from anger disillusionment"
Here we see a natural psychological progression: greed leads to attachment, attachment leads to desire, and desire, when unfulfilled, gives rise to anger. This anger clouds judgment and drives delusion. Sound familiar? It’s the very lobha-krodha-moha that Patañjali warns against.
The remedy in both texts is the same: pratipaksa bhavanam, cultivate awareness and redirect the mind to the opposite positive.
One breath at a time. One thought at a time. One action at a time.
This is the everyday sādhanā—the inner practice that turns our yoga from theory into transformation.
More tomorrow.