Meditating With The Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali

More than 2000 years ago, the sage Patanjali wrote The Yoga Sutras. These 196 aphorisms were meant to provide clear guidance about the path of yoga and yogic philosophy. They were not intended to merely be read and acted upon; rather, they were intended to be sat with, to be meditated upon. This is an introduction to our meditation series on The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Transcript

Welcome to today's meditation, Inspired by the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. As you settle into your space, I invite you to gently close your eyes or allow your gaze to soften. Together, Let's take a slow breath in, And then with your exhale, Allow yourself to settle into your space just a bit more. Another slow breath in, And again, As you breathe out, Settle just a bit more. One more breath in together, One more breath out, As we arrive into this present moment. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are a collection of verses from more than 2, 000 years ago that serve as threads woven together into a guidebook designed to help us find wisdom and self-realization through this path of yoga. Their writings are old, But the messages of these verses are as relevant to you and me today and the struggles that we experience as they were to those living in the time of Patanjali. These sutras, Or threads, Not only connect us to the yogic teachings from so long ago, But they also connect us to one another across time, Across geography, Across space. As we study the sutras as a foundational part of our meditation practice, We not only begin to understand the teachings better, But we become a part of a beautiful tapestry, A tapestry made up of so many other humans meditating on the very same teachings from their cushion, From their space, From their time in this world. So today, As we sit together, Let's breathe into the wisdoms given to us in these teachings. And let's breathe out, Feeling the connection across humanity. Breathing in, Wisdom. Breathing out, Connection. Breathing in, Wisdom. Breathing out, Connection. Breathing in. Breathing out. And as you breathe into this next present moment, Feel in your body what it's like to know so many others are on the same path right alongside you, Pausing in their day to meditate, Pausing in their day to find this present moment. Patanjali gave us the Yoga Sutras, These threads, So very long ago, As a way to connect us to the practice, To the teachings, But also as a reminder of our connection to one another. So let's sit with that reminder. Together, Sit with those threads of connection, Me here in my space, You in yours. As we each sit in our space, Breathing in that wisdom, Breathing out that connection, Pausing together. Breathing in, Wisdom. Wisdom. Breathing out, Connection. Breathing in, Wisdom. Breathing out, Connection. As we close today's practice, May we each take that connection offered to us so many years ago with us, Allowing it to serve as a reminder, A reminder of this tapestry to which we all belong, You through your practice, Me through mine. Across time, Across distance, Across space, Feeling the way that these threads unite us all together. We'll close our time with this beautiful benediction of connection, This beautiful benediction that reminds us of the unity between us all. The light in me sees and honors and is connected to the light in you. Namaste.