Threads of Yoga : Themes, Reflections, and Meditations to Weave Into Your Practice

Deepen and enliven your yoga practice with 30 themes based on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras that can inspire on and off the mat. Yoga draws many practitioners because of its physical benefits, but it is often the experience of peace that people return for. Threads of Yoga supports those seeking to learn more about yoga’s deeper spiritual teachings. Each short chapter introduces a foundational yogic theme, such as letting go, the breath, the yamas and the niyamas, and the chakra system. Each theme is accompanied by practices, including meditation, complementary poses, breath work, or quotes to contemplate. It is an ideal guide for both practitioners and teachers who want to connect with the spiritual wisdom of yoga, deepen their personal practice, or develop and support a theme for yoga class. Introduction How to Use This Book The Meaning behind the Movement Beyond the Postures The Initiation PART ONE: Themes and Practices Inspired by the Yoga Sutras 1. What Is Yoga? 2. Why Quiet the Mind? 3. Present Moment Awareness 4. Breath 5. Prana 6. Opening the Heart 7. Surrender 8. Silence 9. The Witness 10. Meditation PART TWO: The Yamas and Niyamas 11. Introduction to the Yamas and Niyamas 12. Ahimsa—Nonviolence 13. Satya—Truthfulness 14. Asteya—Nonstealing 15. Brahmacharya—Moderation 16. Aparigraha—Nongreed 17. Saucha—Purity 18. Santosha—Contentment 19. Tapas—Self-Discipline 20. Swadhyaya—Self-Study 21. Ishvara Pranidhana—Surrender to a Higher Power PART THREE: The Chakra System 22. Introduction to the Chakra System 23. Muladhara—The Root Chakra 24. Svadisthana—The Sacral Chakra 25. Manipura—The Solar Plexus Chakra 26. Anahata—The Heart Chakra 27. Visuddha—The Throat Chakra 28. Ajna—The Third Eye Chakra 29. Sahasrara—The Crown Chakra 30. Conclusion Resources and Recommended Reading Acknowledgments About the Author E-mail Sign-Up "Many people begin to practice yoga for its physical benefits-from exercise to stress relief-but over time more than 60 percent of practitioners say that their primary reason for practice changes from physical to spiritual. Threads of Yoga is written for these practitioners who crave a deeper experience of yoga, as well as the teachers who want to share it. Written by a veteran yoga teacher, Threads of Yoga introduces some of the basics of yoga philosophy, as well as meditations, breathwork, and other subtle practices. Short chapters can serve as inspiration for personal practice or a yoga class"-- Provided by publisher