Yoga Sutra

Embracing cleanliness—in more than just its most obvious expressions—can transform your life.

Yoga nidra helps prepare my body to claim the relaxation it so deserves.

Pratipakṣa-bhāvanam encourages us to look at the bright side. But "good vibes only" overlooks the lessons learned in adversity.

When she embraced yoga's ethical limbs, Susanna Barkataki's life changed in surprising ways—and for the better.

For a long time, I thought my anxiety defined me. Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra helped me finally recognize that I am not my anxiety.

Patanjali's eight-fold path offers guidelines for a meaningful and purposeful life. Get to know this prescription for moral and ethical conduct, and self-discipline.

Yoga is a process of spiritual evolution and growth.

Sadness and turmoil are universal. Learn how practicing deep concentration during tough times can lift the emotional burden.

Learn how to master your desires and tap into creative forces through Tantric philosophy.

While experiencing the near-death of his wife, Aadil Palkhivala channeled meditation to release ignorance, ego, and attachment.

With this sutra, Patanjali teaches that yoga practice is preventive medicine for our minds—a way to keep future pain and suffering from manifesting.

Once you begin to identify your obstacles through mindful yoga practice, you will be able to set better intentions and reset your karmic path.

Master teacher Rodney Yee shares his interpretation of Yoga Sutra 1.2.

Sutra 1.12 introduces two essential elements of yogic philosophy: effort and non-attachment. When practiced together, they can serve as a spiritual and practical roadmap for navigating almost every aspect of life with greater equanimity.

Master teacher Amy Ippoliti interprets Sutra 1.3 as a way to meet your thoughts and feelings with self-assurance.

Alexandria Crow discusses the yoga you can and can’t see in an Instagram.

Judith Hanson Lasater draws on the teachings of Patanjali to explain how yoga can—and should—play a role in improving our relationships.

Judith Hanson Lasater shares inspiration from the classic yogic text, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, for developing a more mindful relationship with technology.

Judith Hanson Lasater shares her thoughts on the enduring relevance of the classic text of yoga philosophy, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, for life in the modern world.

There's a lot we can learn from the classic yogic texts about nourishing and honoring ourselves in our everyday lives.

Lasater explores the meaning of the first sutra and offers a home practice to honor its wisdom.

Lasater explains the meaning of ishvara pranidhana to her and its enduring relevance. Join us for her six-week interactive online course on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra.

Every yoga teacher should learn the core concepts of yoga philosophy before building their own teachings.

Yoga Journal co-founder Judith Hanson Lasater, PhD, and her daughter, Lizzie Lasater, share five reasons why teachers and students alike should know Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra.

There's so much more to yoga than what happens on the mat. When you need a little push in the right direction or a fresh perspective, the Yoga Sutra is your guidebook living with intention.

Nicki Doane, co-owner and director of Maya Yoga Studio in Maui, share a teaching from the fourth pada of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra.

Nicki Doane, co-owner and director of Maya Yoga Studio in Maui, shares tips for achieving (and transcending) the superpowers of yoga.

This week YJ LIVE! presenter Nicki Doane shares with us teachings from the Yoga Sutra of Pantanjali on the how of yoga.

These five steps will help you get there.

Yoga is so much more than asana. The sutras show us how to be our true selves and appreciate every moment—even when life gets crazy.

Try these three books for a careful study 
of the history of modern yoga and its relationship 
to the South Asian traditions of yoga.

Transform envy into a positive practice for finding—and fulfilling—your greatest potential with these six steps from Sally Kempton.

Practicing the principle of non-harming can trigger dissonance in omnivores. Here, thoughts on reconciling your diet with your practice.

Alexandria Crow explores the practical and philosophical reasons for teaching the nitty-gritty.

Teacher Alexandria Crow explains why yoga’s biggest benefits have nothing to do with mastering advanced asanas and everything to do with mastering the mind.

New to yoga? We've got answers for you. These 10 common questions for yoga beginners should get you on your way to a deeper practice and mindful meditation.

Some yogis believe diet is key to practice the Yoga Sutra's principle of Ahimsa, or non-harming.

What we know about Patanjali, the sage who wrote the Yoga Sutras.

Yoga practice and philosophy can help free us from suffering, even in life's most difficult moments.

Thanksgiving dinner can feel like the most anxiety-provoking meal of the year. It doesn't have to be that way.

When life doesn't go as planned, try this guided meditation to connect to surrender to a source bigger than yourself.

Connect with the part of you that remains steady to accept change.

Sometimes things don't go your way. But understanding the causes of suffering can help you meet life's challenges with equanimity.

Getting to the root of your anxiety can help you overcome it.

Patanjali outlines five functions of the mind. Understanding them will bring you closer to knowing your true Self.

Self-reflection is the first step in breaking patterns and tendencies that no longer serve you.

During this darkest of seasons, kindle your heart's flame and share your light with the world.

Clear the pathway to achieving your goals with focused practice and detachment.

There are no shortcuts to true knowing, so relax and take it one step at a time.

Connect with your inner light and share with the world.

See through your thought patterns and perceptions and discover the freedom to be your Self.

Interested in starting yoga? Take a cue from Yoga Sutra I.1—there's no time like the present.

From yamas and niyamas to the yoga sutra, yoga offers many tools to help you find happiness.

The 10 pillars of wisdom from the Yoga Sutra lead the way to true freedom.

Recognize when criticism turns into envy and use the yoga sutras and your yoga practice to figure out how to handle it.

T.K.V. Desikachar cites these five categories to understand the mind.

A personal crisis can be a gift on the path to spiritual maturity. Learn to accept this gift, and you'll feel reborn.

In a world of information overload, the yoga practice of pratyahara offers us a haven of silence.

There's no magic pill for flexibility, but certain herbs can help you limber up.

There's more to yoga than just the asanas themselves. Judith Lasater talks about the benefits of asanas and how they can create awareness in the body.

The first stanza of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra gives wisdom about yoga as a whole.

We all know about the eight limbs of yoga. But do you know about the yoga vitamins? These five yoga vitamins, or virtues, will fortify your practice.

Richard Rosen explains how yoga philosophy helps us see who really we are and learn to embrace it.

Patanjali's basic advice in the Yoga Sutra may sound simple, but many find sitting in meditation painful and difficult. Here's how you can bring ease to your seated posture.

Tim Miller turns to the ancient wisdom of Patanjali to answer this existential question.

Ancient texts insist celibacy is a must on the yogic path, but few modern yogis opt for such an ascetic lifestyle.

Traditionally, the goal of a spiritual practice has been to attain enlightenment, but is that what today's seekers are really after?

The yogic practice of satya (truth) focuses on carefully choosing our words so they do the least harm and most good.

Bring classical yoga's lessons off the mat and meditation cushion and into your relationships.