Victoria Klein

The Yoga Sutras is the pulsing core of the practice of Yoga - which is much more in-depth than the mere asana/postures that are so very popular in the West. 

Unfortunately, the original sutras are presented in an extremely simplistic fashion, meant to be “unpacked” by a long-time teacher, according to the traditional Indian system.

Because of this, there are countless translations + commentaries of the The Yoga Sutras available in-print today (2 of which I’ve read + reviewed before: here + here).

Edwin Bryant’s interpretation of the Yoga Sutras is nothing short of remarkable. Along with his own intelligent perspective (backed by 30+ years of study), Bryant also includes insights from “traditional” commentators who “unpacked” the Yoga Sutras thousands of years ago. Perhaps even more important, he includes detailed information on the spiritual/religious lineage that Yoga developed from; a background in the metaphysics that underpin all Yogic concepts; + comparisons in how Yoga differs from other spiritual lineages that developed from the same root beliefs, including Buddhism.

There is a lot on conflicting information about what Yoga really is, especially due to the rise of importance to asana over the past few decades. If you’re looking to take your physical practice to a whole other level (it involves a lot less moving), this book will crack open your mind to all that Yoga has to offer, along with challenging your spiritual + scientific beliefs.

If you have never read a translation of the Yoga Sutras, this book may be overwhelming, unless you really love diving deep right off the bat. This book is truly vital reading for Yoga teachers of all “types” of Yoga - it takes us back to “our roots” + reminds us why we practice (spoiler: it doesn’t involved flat abs or tight buns).

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Thanks to Yoga Teacher Training, I’ve been discovering some of the best books I’ve ever read. Case in point: Rolf Sovik’s Moving Inward: The Journey to Meditation. 

Once you get past all the woo-woo aspects of what meditation can be and/or what you may experience, the logistics of getting comfortable + spending time sitting in stillness is enough for most people to skip it all together. Rolf’s book does an impeccable job of breaking down those logistical barriers (read: excuses) that stand in the way of enjoying meditation + all its benefits on a daily basis.

From finding a comfortable seated posture + breathing diaphragmatically (easier than it sounds) to truly relaxing before meditating + using the breath and/or a mantra as a point of focus during meditation, Rolf’s writing style is easy-to-understand + graciously supportive.

If you are interested in some of the more subtle aspects of meditation, Rolf also touches on the 8 limbs of yoga, active + cognitive senses, mulabandha, systematic relaxation, yoga nidra, prana vayus, nadi shodhanam, the 3 main nadis, maya koshas, and chakras. If that list sounds entirely foreign or mildly intimating  don’t fret - Rolf explains everything in an easy-to-understand way that you can embrace or set aside.

Whether you are brand new to meditation, have been meditating for decades, or anywhere in between, this book is a must-read to help you step into the practice of meditation or take your practice one step deeper.

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March 22nd - 26th, 2013 

Topics: Pranayama, Chakras, Bandhas, Vayus

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It’s been a week since the 1st of 7 modules for 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training ended. It has taken me until now to process everything that we absorbed during the 5-day module … well, I think it is still a work-in-progress. ;)

The major highlight of the module (along with meeting the other 8 wonderful ladies that I’ll be experiencing 500 YTT with) was spending 2 days learning from + practicing with Nischala Joy Devi. After reading both of her books (which I reviewed here + here), it was a joy to meet Nischala in person + delve into the subject of pranayama (breathing practices). 

A full post about the weekend with Nischala is coming soon, but until then, here are a few gems directly from her:

Do we need to have all the mystery taken out of everything? Pranayama is a bit mysterious and we can be comfortable with that. 

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Breathing is a lease contract with the universe that is renewed with each inhale - it is a privilege  We breathe without thinking because of our arrogance, until something physiological happens to affect our breathing.

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Our practice not only translates into our daily lives, it transforms our daily lives.

… and so much more! Along with taking a lot of wonderfully useful notes, we also practiced pranayama + meditation, guided by Nischala. Needless to say, the process was immensely eye-opening (no pun intended) + pranayama will now be a larger part of my personal practice and professional teaching.

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Along with an in-depth 2-day pranayama workshop with Nischala, the 1st module of 500 YTT also included in-depth lectures + discussions on chakras, mudras, bandhas, + the 5 prana vayus. I hope to write introductory posts to each of these subjects, though they may be a bit “woo-woo” for some folks - but nonetheless fascinating. 

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It was an intense, information-rich 5 days that went by quite quickly. In other words, it was an awesome start to the adventure that is 500 YTT! Expect a lot more book reviews + 500 YTT updates in the near future :) <3