The Yoga Sutras Desk Reference: A Comprehensive Guide to the Core Concepts of Yoga

Description

Those who love the physical practice of yoga-its postures, movements, and breathwork-often find themselves seeking its deeper spiritual wisdom. More than 2,000 years ago, the legendary master Patanjali illuminated the way with 195 pearls of insight known as the Yoga Sutras. With this indispensable and beautifully illustrated resource, Sanskrit and yoga philosophy teacher Nicolai Bachman brings us a modern, practical guide to Patanjali's foundational masterpiece. Why do we react the way we do in certain situations? How can suffering be an opportunity for growth? Why are nonviolence and truth so important to students and society? Patanjali's sutras shine a timeless light on these questions and more. To help us truly understand what yoga is, Bachman focuses on 51 key concepts, explains each one in great detail, and poses ways to contemplate and experience them in our own lives. This comprehensive work also includes a concise history of yoga and the sutras, a full translation of every sutra, several color illustrations of important process flows, a large glossary of Sanskrit terms, and many learning exercises. Whether you're a seasoned instructor or a student looking to go further in your practice, The Yoga Sutras Desk Reference offers a treasury of teachings to discover the "outer joy and inner happiness" of yoga.

Nicolai Bachman has taught Sanskrit, yoga philosophy, Ayurveda, and chanting since 1994. He has studied extensively at the American Sanskrit Institute, the Ayurvedic Institute, the American Institute of Vedic Studies, and the Vedic Chant Center. He holds an MA in Eastern philosophy, an MS in nutrition, and is E-RYT 500 certified. Nicolai's publications include The Language of Yoga, The Path of the Yoga Sutras, and The Language of Ayurveda. Learn more at sanskritsounds.com.

"This is an extremely helpful guide to decoding the intricacies of the Yoga Sutras. Nicolai has a remarkable way of elucidating this elaborate, hard-to-crack text in a way that makes the Sanskrit, the verses, the philosophy, and the practices accessible. I use it all the time for my research, writing and teaching." --Tias Little, author of Yoga of the Subtle Body "Nicolai Bachman's Yoga Sutras Desk Reference is a wonderful opportunity for all yoga practitioners to really learn this profound art. It will keep drawing us into the interwoven fabric of different traditional schools, interpretations, languages, cultures, and even agendas in such a way that, as the sun releases its radiance, we can joyously release them all." --Richard Freeman, yoga teacher and coauthor of When Love Comes to Light