Yoga Articles at Sutra Journal

Articles on Yoga

Towards a Theory of Tantra-Ecology

May, 2016 by Jeffrey S. Lidke

In the highly coded environs of Tantric practice the final aim is the realization that the body of the sādhaka and the body of divinity are united in a holographic universe whose constituent parts contain within themselves the whole, “this all” (sarvaṃ idaṃ). The Śiva Saṃhitā, a Nāth Siddha guide to Haṭha Yoga (ca. Tenth century), describes the body of the yogin as the seat of the entire universe. read more

Christopher Tompkins on the Origins of Vinyasa

November, 2015 by Vikram Zutshi

Well, to date I don't know of a single publication on the history of yoga, including the recent BRILL Encyclopedia entry on Yoga, which has recognized and accurately depicted the fundamental and critical place of Yoga in the thousand year long tradition of Tantra, so revolutionary for its major contribution to the yoga tradition, including the Hatha based innovation of non-seated Asana sequencing. Instead Western scholarship in particular has simply skipped over it, and has... read more

Mark Dyczkowski in Conversation

February, 2016 by Lea Horvatic

Dr. Mark Dyczkowski is one of the world’s foremost scholars on Tantra and Kashmiri Trika Shaivism and has lived and worked in India for close to forty years. Both a scholar and a practitioner, he was initiated by the great Indian teacher Swami Laksmanjoo in the year 1976. He has an undergraduate degree from Banaras Hindu University and a Ph.D. from Oxford University, where he researched Kashmir Shaivism under the guidance of Professor Alexis Sanderson. read more

Yoga and the Four Aims of Life

August, 2015 by Pankaj Seth

In the context of the Indian civilization Yoga is a path to Moksha, or Self realization. Moksha is itself one of the four aims of life, along with Dharma/Virtue, Artha/Prosperity and Kama/Enjoyment. read more

Kalari Shakti – the Flowing Art of Kalarippayatu

July, 2016 by Shiva Rea

There is an unspoken sharing of this sacred space and practice of Kalarippayatu as we move in silence, punctuated by occasional corrections in the lyrical language of Malayalam. Sweat pours from our oiled bodies as we begin to experience inner and outer transformation. Even though we face a wall of ancient weapons – sticks, swords, clubs and shields, there is an environment of inner power, respect and balance for all from the young beginners to the advanced practitioners. read more

The Essence of Kriya

February, 2016 by Virochana Khalsa

Kriya is an active synthesis of breath, visualization, mental focus, repetition, discipline, internal alchemy, a good nature, and posture to internalize our awareness. In contrast to a passive approach, which also has its place, kriya charges and directs the current of your mind and breath, which keeps you engaged as you ride it into a deeper centering of presence. read more

Yoga Meditation

July, 2016 by Gregor Maehle

In the beginning there was only the one yoga, sometimes referred to as Maha Yoga, the great yoga. Before the one greater yoga broke apart into small factions, Hatha Yoga was the physical school through which all yogis had to pass. read more

Manifesting Shakti: Five Elements Yantra Guide

July, 2016 by Ekabhumi Charles Ellik

A step-by-step instruction to create a simple yantra suitable for use with the Five Elements Meditation (Tattva Shuddhi). read more

An Introduction to the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha

August, 2015 by Mary Hicks

What exactly is real? What is the nature of reality? What is the purpose of any particular life? These are some of the questions that the YogaVāsiṣṭha (YV) explores in tales that are epic in size and minute in their detailed storytelling, interlocking tales of kings, sages, and people from the entire spectrum of occupations. read more

Sankalpa: Setting an Intention for Life

August, 2015 by Molly Birkholm

Sit for a moment. Yes, you, the reader of this ﬁrst edition of Sutra Journal. Close your eyes for a moment, before you read the rest of this article or turn the page. Take a few deep breaths… feel back into the heart and ask yourself the question, How is my heart feeling in this moment? Listen for the honest response, and if it feels right, continue, What will bring my heart into harmony? read more

Developing a Continuity of Practice

August, 2015 by Virochana Khalsa

Most of us reading this journal are more or less engaged in a spiritual practice, such as meditation, which as it becomes a daily practice is formally called sadhana. However, despite the best of intentions, there is often dramatic variations of clarity over the days, such that sometimes it is just like starting again from scratch. I will share some tips to better carry forth a momentum from one sitting to the next, and in the process develop a greater integration... read more

Pranayama in the Light of Consciousness

May, 2016 by Godfrey Devereux

Even the slightest hint of effort, or intention, maintains mind in its linear, dualistic limitations. Rather the infolding flow of awareness so clearly and elegantly presented by Patanjali, happens only and exactly because all effort, all intention have been relinquished into the free flowing intelligence of consciousness. This is, of course what surrender means. Not to submit to some higher power, but to let go of resisting the presence of natural intelligence. read more

The Flowering of Freedom: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Part Six

June, 2016 by Richard Miller

Enlightenment is supported by our ability to maintain sustained intention and attention for recognizing our underlying and unchanging Essential Nature. The tendency of the mind to get involved with, and distracted by changing phenomena (vikṣepaḥ) needs to shift so that we are able to sustain self-inquiry (antarāyaḥ), no matter what else may be arising in the body, mind, or world. read more

Ahiṁsā in the Mahābhārata

February, 2016 by Christopher Key Chapple

Ahiṁsā or nonviolence might seem an unlikely topic for one of the world's greatest war epics. Any student of Indian philosophy or religion undoubtedly associates the Mahābhārata with Lord Krishna urging Arjuna to take up his weapons and fight and the bloodbath that follows. And despite the attempts of Gandhi and many others to make the struggle between the Pāṇḍava brothers and the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra metaphorical, no one can deny the reality of carnal savagery in the text, even on the part of the good guys. read more

Krishnamacharya’s Yoga Rahasya

July, 2016 by Eric Shaw

Many students of the yoga tradition know that Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888 - 1989) is credited with being the father of modern yoga, but most remain foggy about the details of his life and even foggier about the books he wrote. read more

Daniel Odier in Conversation

March, 2016 by Lea Horvatic

Daniel Odier is a Swiss author and screenwriter and a prolific writer on Eastern religious traditions, especially Tantra, had a mystical initiation from a tantric dakini, Lalita Devi, in Kashmir. Odier also received dharma transmission from Jing Hui, abbot of Bailin Monastery and dharma successor of Hsu Yun, using the name "Ming Qing". He founded the Tantra/Chan centre in Paris, which operated from 1995 to 2000, and has taught courses on Eastern spiritual traditions at the University of California. read more

The Role of Devotion in Yoga

August, 2015 by Bill Francis Barry

What do the classic yoga texts teach about the role of devotion in yoga practice? Is devotion to a higher force, deity or divine principle considered optional? What are the forms of devotional practice that are relevant to yoga? Answers to these questions are clearly stated in the Yoga Sutras, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Ramayana as well as less well known yogic texts such as the Yoga Yajnavalkya, and the Gheranda Samhita. read more

Working with Samskaras and Vasanas

March, 2016 by Marshall Govindan

Have you noticed that your mind often returns to particular memories or feelings? They might be related to individuals with whom you have unresolved issues, or they might be associated with very pleasurable past experiences, for example, related to food, sex, or winning in a competitive sport. Or they might be associated with difficult experiences that you fear repeating: a physical attack, a divorce, an embarrassing situation, rejection by someone you love or admire. Have you ever wondered why? read more

Marshall Govindan on Thirumandiram and the Tamil Yoga Siddhas

July, 2016 by Vikram Zutshi

Marshall Govindan (or Yogacharya M. Govindan Satchidananda) is a Kriya Yogi, author, scholar and publisher of literary works related to classical Yoga and Tantra and teacher of Kriya Yoga. He is the President of Babaji's Kriya Yoga and Publications, Inc., and the President of Babaji's Kriya Yoga Order of Archaryas, a lay order of more than 25 Kriya Yoga teachers operating in more than 20 countries. read more

An Interview with Ray Maor on Living without Food

January, 2016 by Virochana Khalsa

A Breatharian, unlike most people think, is a person that uses mostly energy as his primary source of energy. This is the reason why a Breatharian does not feel hunger or thirst. A Breatharian can eat or drink if he chooses to and most Breatharian I am familiar with do eat or drink, only in small quantities and not out of a necessity. They will mostly eat or drink for social situations like being with the family or on holidays. read more

Dṛg-Dṛśya-Viveka: Wisdom of the Seer and the Seen

November, 2015 by Richard Miller, PhD

All objects are perceived by the senses. The senses are, in turn, perceived by the mind. The mind, in turn, is a movement that unfolds in Awareness. Awareness is not perceived by any other structure. It is its own perceiving. read more

Beloved I am Listening: Reflections on the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra

January, 2016 by Lorin Roche

The Bhairava Tantra is a conversation between The Goddess Who is the Creative Power of the Universe, and the God who is the Consciousness That Permeates Everywhere. For short, they call each other Devi and Bhairava, or Shakti and Shiva. They are lovers and inseparable partners, and one of their favorite places of dwelling is in the human heart. read more

Eternal Yoga

December, 2015 by Virochana Khalsa

Eternal Yoga, a term given to me at the end of a winter retreat in the Himalayas, is a set of practices where we go above our head to discover our eternal nature beyond conceptualization and individuality, while at the same time increasing our individual definition. This brings forth a conscious continuum where we know for ourselves what is our spirit, our soul, and the weaving into our embodiment. read more

Introduction to 'Haṭhayogapradīpikā' - Part One

July, 2016 by Kausthub Desikachar

Believed to be composed in the fourteenth century AD, the Haṭhayogapradīpikā is authored by the grand master Yogin Svātmārāma. He was not only an adept in this field, but was also an expert in the deeper aspects of the Saṁskṛta language. The manner in which he presents such a rich teaching through the powerful lyrics and beautiful poetry that constitute this text is a testimony to his proficiency. read more

Yoga in Palestine

December, 2015 by Meera Grace Hoon

Many teachers and students who are practicing Muslims and Christians have said that yoga has helped them connect with or deepens their own spirituality. For example, in various trainings and workshops, women and men have spoken about the similarity between the bowing and kneeling in Muslim prayers and the yoga postures, and found themselves more flexible for the five-times daily prayers. Many have said that they benefit from the focus and stillness of the meditative aspect of yoga, bringing.. read more

The Most Versatile of Mystics

July, 2016 by Philip Goldberg

Ramakrishna was one of the most colorful, enigmatic, and revered holy men in India, where such figures are as much a part of the landscape as the ornate temple towers looming above dusty villages or the unassuming shrines tucked into alcoves in teeming cities. read more

The Globalization of Yoga: An Argumentative Approach

July, 2016 by Jeffery D. Long

Over the last century and a half, yoga has become a global phenomenon. In the process, lines of tension have emerged over what constitutes authentic practice versus what has been transformed to be “digestible” by a western audience. read more

Abhinavagupta's Maṅgala verse No. 2 (video talk) from Parātrīśikā Vivaraṇa & Tantrāloka 13 103-107

May, 2016 by Boris Marjanovic

Boris Bhāskara Marjanovic, the eminent Kashmiri Shaiva scholar, shines a light on the verses from Abhnavagupta's Tantrāloka and Parātrisika Vivaraņa. (Video) read more

Consciousness is Everything

March, 2016 by Swami Khecaranatha

The purpose of spiritual practice is to understand and directly experience this ultimate truth, and furthermore, to discover that we are that Consciousness. In the nondual Kashmir Shaivite tradition of Anuttara Trika, this all-pervading Consciousness is called Śiva. read more

Flowering of Freedom: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Part Five

May, 2016 by Richard Miller

Dr. Miller has translated several classical Indian texts from Sanskrit into English. This is the fifth part of Richard's translation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, along with his rich insights and incisive commentary. read more

Kriya Yoga in the Light of Recent Findings in Neuroscience

January, 2016 by Marshall Govindan

If we consider that the mind is an embodied and relational process that regulates the flow of energy and information, we can use the mind to change the brain. By focusing our attention, intentionally directing the flow of energy and information through our neural circuits, we can directly alter the brain’s activity and its structure. To do so, we must know how to promote well-being through awareness. Mental activity actually creates new neural structures. Hence, even fleeting thoughts and emotions can leave read more

Meher Baba: Intoxicated By God

March, 2016 by Stuart Sovatsky

Contemporary issues of interest and concern to transpersonal psychology have antecedents in the 1920s–1940s in the work of Meher Baba in India. He helped inspire the work of R.D. Laing in the 1960s (1964 with Esterson, 1965, 1970), predates the work of Sannella (1977/1987), Perry (1974), and the Grofs (1989, 1990) on ‘‘spiritual emergence,’’ and foreshadowed Wilber’s ‘‘pre-trans fallacy’’ (Wilber, 1980a, 1980b, 1995). read more

The Flowering of Freedom: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Part Four

March, 2016 by Richard Miller

In this chapter, Richard Miller presents further six sutras from Patañjali's YS, which differentiate ever subtler states of meditation that enable us to go beyond what normally binds attention (prakṛti), in order to attain a glimpse of Essential Nature (puruṣa) and the flowering of freedom from suffering. read more

The Flowering of Freedom: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Part Three

February, 2016 by Richard Miller

Dr. Miller has translated several classical Indian texts from Sanskrit into English. This is the third part of Richard's translation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, along with his rich insights and incisive commentary, published here as a four part series. read more

The Flowering of Freedom: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Part Two

January, 2016 by Richard Miller

Dr. Miller has translated several classical Indian texts from Sanskrit into English. In the last issue we published a seminal text of Advaita Vedanta - Drg-Drsya-Viveka: An Inquiry into the Nature of the Seer and the Seen. We now bring you part two of Richard's translation of Patañjali's Yoga Sutras four part series along with his rich insights and incisive commentary. read more

The Role of Yoga in Bengali Shaktism

February, 2016 by June McDaniel

The love of deities may be passionate or obedient, wide-ranging or focused, ordered or wild. As Friedhelm Hardy has shown, there is intellectual bhakti which emphasizes loyalty and obedience, and there is ecstatic, emotional bhakti which is overwhelming and intoxicating. read more

In the Land of the Siddhas

December, 2015 by John Weddepohl

A siddha is a free thinker and a revolutionary, refusing to allow himself to be carried away by religion, scripture, or ritual, denouncing idol worship, ritualistic practices and petitionary prayers as fetters holding back the soul. read more

Yogavasistha II: Reflections on Action and Dispassion

October, 2015 by Mary Hicks

Near the end of the Mahabharata (MB), the author Vyasa says, Whatever is found elsewhere in other texts is also found in this book. Whatever is not found in this book is nowhere else to be found. The Yogavasistha (YV) falls in the genre of MB in terms of the wisdom contained therein. Instead of the historical narratives and genealogies in which these nuggets of wisdom are embedded in the Mahabharata, the YV chooses parables and fanciful stories ... read more

Notes on the Sensuality of Sensation

January, 2016 by Godfrey Devereux

Sex is perhaps the most problematic of all human activities. The sex drive is a powerful, natural and necessary force of nature: it creates sexual appetite as a matter of course. It cannot be healthily denied. Rather, it must be embraced and navigated consciously. Yet so deep is it in us that it is not easy to recognise and express its simple, natural place in the overwhelming complexity of our modern lives. read more

Yogacharya Ellen O’Brian (Podcast)

December, 2015 by Philip Goldberg and Dennis Raimondi

Yogacharya is the Spiritual Director of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment in San Jose CA. Ordained to teach by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, she is the author of several books, a frequent speaker at conferences worldwide, a leader of service projects and host of The Yoga Hour on the Unity FM network. We spoke about her work, her unique background and her observations of the contemporary spiritual scene. read more

Articles on Yoga

Get the One and Only Sutra Journal Newsletter