Embodying the Yoga Sutras: Support, Direction, Space

Applying the teachings of this book will enliven your yoga practice and deepen your understanding of your Self.”- Gary Kraftsow, author of Yoga for Wellness and Yoga for Transformation

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras is the key text of yoga. Yet for many yoga practitioners, its deeper treasures remain either unknown or mired in obscurity. Ranju Roy and David Charlton focus on 18 of the most important sutras and show how each one illuminates the relationship between the body, the breath, and the mind in a practical, clear, and contemporary manner. The sutras are carefully deconstructed, put into context and then developed into ideas for practice.

The authors examine the interplay of three key terms: support, direction and space. They suggest that only by taking support on something can you establish a clear direction; and only then can a space open up to grow into. This formula can be applied as successfully to the body (in asana) as to the breath (in pranayama) and the mind (through meditation). With illustrated asana sequences and suggested practices, Embodying the Yoga Sutra is both a practical as well as a deeply philosophical book. Roy and Charlton give readers a whole new vocabulary with which to understand yoga as a living, vibrant and dynamic tradition.

Ranju Roy and David Charlton founded Sadhana Mala in 2004. The organization specializes in teacher training, study courses, and retreats. They both studied with TKV Desikachar, Paul Harvey, and Peter Hersnack. They have led training course for Viniyoga and yoga classes and retreats throughout the UK and Ireland. They have personal l contact with more than 2,000 students, several hundred of whom have gone on to become teachers themselves.