In this deep dive into yoga’s origins and history, guest-host Stephanie Serrano interviews scholar Dr. Christopher Jain Miller about the yoga sutras and their role as the guiding texts for modern yoga. They discuss the connections between the yoga sutras and Samkhya philosophy, the relationship between the yoga sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, and the origins of the yoga sutras and Patanjali himself.

Their discussion also covers how these texts were reinterpreted, and even misinterpreted, during the American counterculture. The conversation delves into how British colonialism changed our perception of the yoga tests. The conversation concludes by examining the changes in the practice of the Yoga Sutra today and how the text can inspire practitioners to bring yoga philosophy into their everyday lives and create a better world.

Key Takeaways for this Episode

00:00 the yoga sutras as guiding texts 07:16 the connection between the yoga sutras and Samkhya philosophy 13:49 unraveling the origins of the yoga sutras and Patanjali 21:37 the importance of selfless action in the Bhagavad Gita 24:08 the influence of the American counterculture on modern yoga 28:14 the role of British colonialism in the history of yoga 38:18 overemphasis on asana in modern yoga 44:12 embodying yoga philosophy in everyday life

Links:

arihantainstitute.org

Dr. Miller on Instagram: @theyogaprofessor

Embodying Transnational Yoga by Dr. Christopher Jain Miller

Our Beyond The Pose series are classes themed after the first two of eight limbs, outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

There are five Yamas that make up the first limb:

• Ahimsa: Beyond The Pose: Vinyasa For Ahimsa
• Satya: Beyond The Pose: Hatha For Satya
• Asteya: Beyond The Pose: Flow For Asteya
• Brahmacharya: Beyond The Pose: Hatha For Brahmacharya
• Aparigraha: Beyond The Pose: Flow For Aparigraha

There are five Niyamas that make up the second limb:

• Saucha: Beyond The Pose: Kundalini For Saucha
• Santosha: Beyond The Pose: Flow For Santosha
• Tapas: Beyond The Pose: Conditioning For Tapas
• Svadhyaya: Beyond The Pose: Meditation For Svadhyaya
• Isvara Pranidhana: Beyond The Pose: Flow For Isvara Pranidhana