Weaving the threads of ancient yogic knowledge into a detailed map of human possibility, the Yoga-Sutra stands as a testament to heroic self-awareness, defining yoga for all time.

...what the Buddha thought and taught,...had only one purpose: to come to the end of dukkha, liberating heart and mind. He appears to have taught that this potential— presumably the ultimate goal of personhood—will only be realized by one who fully develops body and mind to see things as they are. The central axis of this cultivation is...meditation, so even a little more clarity about how to practice might be of enormous value.

The quotations above are both from Chip Hartranft's commentary on the Yoga-Sutra. His work as a yoga teacher bridges the traditions of yoga and Buddhism.The shared exploration of these anceint teachings in contempory yoga and meditation tradtions promises to be extremly fruitful. Yoga practitioners discover mind trainings and those with a maturiing mindfulness practice develop an appreciation for the central importance of body work. This wisdom is reinforced by the developing western scientific knowledge about physical activity and brain function.

See our Insight and Mindfulness Courses. They offer parallel teachings to those of royal yoga (as below).

Eight limbs of yoga according to the Yoga Sutra:

• Yama (The five "abstentions"): non-violence, non-lying, non-covetousness, non-sensuality, and non-possessiveness.
• Niyama (The five "observances"): purity, contentment, austerity, study, and surrender to god.
• Asana: Literally means "seat", and in Patanjali's Sutras refers to the seated position used for meditation.
• Pranayama ("Suspending Breath"): Prana, breath, "ayama", to restrain or stop. Also interpreted as control of the life force.*
• Pratyahara ("Abstraction"): Withdrawal of the sense organs from external objects.
• Dharana ("Concentration"): Fixing the attention on a single object.
• Dhyana ("Meditation"): Intense contemplation of the nature of the object of meditation.
• Samadhi ("Liberation"): merging consciousness with the object of meditation.

* 'restrain,' 'stop,' and 'control' sound too active for what is meant in actual practice