Secret of the Yoga Sutra Book Club, Part 3: Five Principles for Self-Mastery

Why is samadhi easier for some and harder for others? In Session 3 (sutras 1:17–1:22) of our Yoga Sutra Book Club, Ishan Tigunait demystifies the concept of samadhi (the summit and goal of yoga), recasting it in practice-oriented terms. Listen as Ishan explains concepts such as “lower” and “higher” samadhi, the stages of samadhi, and the relationship of abhyasa (practice) and vairagya (non-attachment) to samadhi. You’ll also learn about five ingredients you can cultivate that will help you evolve into a bhava pratyaya yogi, the kind of yogi for whom practice—and samadhi—seem effortless. These are the five principles for self-mastery.

To prepare for Session 4, please read Sutras 1:23–1:29 (the “Ishvara sutras”) in Pandit Tigunait’s The Secret of the Yoga Sutra: Samadhi Pada (for key terms and self-study questions, download the PDF Study Guide.

Further Reading

The Secret of the Yoga Sutra: Samadhi Pada

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The Secret of the Yoga Sutra is the first practitioner-oriented commentary of the Yoga Sutra which is fully grounded in a living tradition. It shares the essence of Pandit Tigunait’s rigorous scholarly understanding of the Yoga Sutra, through the filter of experiential knowledge gained through decades of advanced yogic practices, and enriched by the gift of living wisdom he received from the masters of the Himalayan Tradition.