I have decided to write a book. And I’m writing here — for you, for free — in real time to help keep me honest. Then I’ll organize it into a book. Probably. Who knows? Let me know if you’re following along! I’d love to hear from you. And, if you want, try your own journey and share it with me!
Who do I think I am?
I’ve never written a book. In fact, I’m not even a big reader. I mean, I like to read, but I just don’t do it that much. I’ve written lots of blog posts and articles and strongly worded emails, though, so I guess I’ve gotta start somewhere.
I have hardly eschewed nice things or lived the life of an ascetic who spends hours in deep meditation and relies on strangers to bring me meals and offerings to survive. Quite the contrary: I live in New York City, and I teach yoga mostly to people wealthy enough to pay for the fancy gyms where I teach. I live in a nice apartment and am happily married (to a man!).
So why do I feel called to write a book about Patañjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga?
Household Yogis
One of my teachers calls those of us trying to observe the lessons of Yoga (not just taking stretching classes) “household yogis.” We are people who have chosen lives that require us to pay bills and have health insurance. Lives that might involve paying a mortgage and seeing movies. Lives that might even include a cocktail in the Sky Lounge before boarding our flight to an all-inclusive resort somewhere exotic.
I do not pretend that this is anything like what ancient spiritual teachers had in mind — from Patañjali to the Buddha to Mohammed and even Jesus. These fellows almost universally prescribe lives of restraint and self-denial, spent largely in fasting, prayer, and meditation.
In this book, I do not strive to rewrite any of those lessons or imply that we can attain the highest levels of enlightenment without closely adhering to the teachings of these masters. Nor do I put myself anywhere near their stature.
However, I think it is possible to carve out a life that honors these traditions the best we can while still meeting worldly obligations… and that’s what I’m setting out to do.
How can I live a life that reflects the spiritual teachings I hold dear while still … living my life? Is it possible? Am I just copping out of the challenges of a real yoga practice to make myself feel more virtuous?
I might be. But I’m going to give it a shot.
The Eight Limbs of Yoga
In the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali, we find the Eight Limbs of Yoga. Ancient traditions, especially, really like list-making. When you don’t have the means to write things down (or followers who could read them if you did), you rely on short, memorable teachings which are often set to music so that they can be easily and accurately shared.
Just imagine if someone read War & Peace aloud to do you and then you had to both remember it and relay it in its entirety to your friends and neighbors. Impossible! But if your guru, on their travels through your village, chants short phrases with you a few dozen times and has you repeat them back … then organizes them into a logical list to aid your memory, you have some chance of the teaching being spread amongst people who never got to meet the guru face-to-face.
The Eight Limbs are:
- The Yamas — How We Relate to Others
- Ahimsa — Non-violence
- Satya — Non-lying
- Astraya — Non-stealing
- Brahmacharya – Moderation of the Senses
- Aparigraha — Non-greed
- The Niyamas — How We Relate to Ourselves
- Saucha — Purity
- Santosha — Contentment
- Tapas — Austerity
- Swadyaya — Study
- Iswara-Pranidhana — Surrender to a Higher Power
- Asana — Posture
- Pranayama — Breath Control
- Pratyahara — Withdrawal of the Senses
- Dharana — Concentration
- Dhyana — Release
- Samadhi — Perfectly Clear Mind // Bliss
You can find my blog posts on each of the Eight Limbs on this very blog.
Over the next 90 days, I will set about to incorporate as many of these as possible into my daily life in New York City in the year 2025. I am not entirely sure what it will look like, but I want to do my best to inhabit the ethics and control of Patañjali while still participating in modern life.
Let’s see how it goes!
Join Me!
I’d love to have your feedback and support along the way. Use this form to make your commitment if that helps keep you on track. Either way, I hope to hear from you!
Nothing that appears in this blog or on this website is intended to treat or diagnose any disorder, physical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before beginning any exercise program.