A stimulating exploration of the Yoga Sutras as not only a classic Yoga text, but one that holds secrets to waking up in the here and now so you can truly embrace all of life. Friedmann skillfully explains the traditional teachings while encouraging you to drop preconceptions and to look again more deeply as a way of assimilating the age-old wisdom of this seminal text, finding clarity, calm, and strength in daily life. A must for students and practitioners of all levels! –Richard Freeman & Mary Taylor Founders of Freeman + Taylor Yoga and the Yoga Workshop and authors of When Love Comes to Light: Bringing Wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita Into Modern Life The basic method of Ashtanga (eight-limbed) Yoga has been adopted and refitted over the centuries to fit the philosophies and practices of just about every classical Indian soteriological tradition: Hindu, Buddhist and Jain. It is a further testimony to the Yoga Sutras’ universal value, that this tiny text has been transplanted and similarly modified as it settles into Western cultural contexts. Friedmann’s Practicing the Yoga Sutras is a very worthy example of this. Mildly flavoring her commentaries with the Advaita- Vedanta she imbibed from her teacher, Friedmann’s main objective is less philosophical, and more a softening of the stoic and radical nature of the text. The author’s project is to present its teachings in a manner that can be put to immediate practical use in normal daily life. With dedicated spaces for reflection and journaling, the book facilitates a deeper understanding of the teachings, while encouraging introspection. A very welcome contribution to the growing body of literature on this seminal meditative text. —Edwin Bryant, PhD, Professor of Hindu Religion and Philosophy, Rutgers University and author of The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali: A New Edition, Translation, and Commentary With wisdom, grace and humor, Carroll Ann Friedmann gives us the clear message that spiritual practice is accessible to everyone. Her storytelling guides us through the cherished Yoga Sutras towards an understanding of spiritual transformation through everyday practices, discipline and love. Friedmann invites every one of us to find our own connection between the inner work of personal growth, and the outer work of living life, day-to-day, while finding our own path towards peace and liberation. –Ina Stephens, MD, e-RYT, C-IAYT, FAAP Pediatrics Infectious Diseases, Medical Yoga and Integrative Medicine University of Virginia Medical Center Charlottesville, Virginia This book breathes new life into the Yoga Sutras, and shows us how their ancient teachings can help us mend our broken relationships with our minds. After the desiccations of recent scholarship, the author brings the relevance of the work back to light. In her hands, we feel the pulse of the Yoga Sutras once again—warm, reassuring and vibrantly alive. Here is an invitation not only to read the sutras, but to imbibe their nectarean wisdom, and allow them to transform us from the inside. This book should be circulated widely, to remind us of what Yoga practice is all about. Essential reading for Yoga students. –Ty Landrum, PhD, Director of the Yoga Workshop
