Study of the Yoga Sutras

a Mala philosophy workshop

with: Jen Whitney
when: Saturday, March 20th: 4-5:30pm
cost: $25.00

“With wise dedication and self-inquiry, hatha yoga can become a realization
practice, illuminating the nature of our volitions and attachments, fostering radical
self-acceptance, and weakening the grip of the self and its self-serving perspective”
–Chip Hartranft

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras have been the basis of yoga study for hundreds of years.  In recent
times, yoga has been primarily equated with the asanas, or physical poses. While important,
equating the whole yoga practice to asana is akin to equating a whole forest to one tree.
While asana practice is vital, and useful in ways not even touched upon in the Yoga Sutras,
asana is but one part of the full practice of yoga. Our “on the mat” practice is the training
ground for work we carry “off the mat.” The Yoga Sutras are our teacher, guide, sign-post,
cheerleader, and friend for this transition.

It is only when yoga is approached in its many parts that it is fully practiced. It is only then that
it will be truly beneficial to the practitioner, as well as all beings.

Jen fell in love with the Sutras during her Jivamukti Teacher Training, as the Sutras were
presented to her as a map for self-exploration. We will look at the meaning of individual words
of a Sutra, then put them together in a way that provides a concrete idea of how one can work
with the sutra in their yoga practices. The Sutras are applicable both on and off the mat, and
while Jen will, at times, use asana as an entry point for understanding a sutra, the overall theme
of this workshop focuses on making the sutra relevant to your off the mat practice. They are
the tools to end the divide between on the mat ethics, ideals, goals, rhythm, and state of being
and how we live and experience ourselves and lives off the mat.

Students are invited to bring any translations they own. Photocopies will be
provided of the material. Students are also invited to wear white, the
traditional color worn to satsangs (meetings of yogis), but it is not required