Living the Sutras

by Kelly DiNardo

You work your yoga body—now work your yoga mind! Living the Sutras brings the wisdom of classical yoga philosophy into your life in an accessible and relevant way. The Yoga Sutras, a foundational text of yoga philosophy and practice, written by the guru Patanjali over two thousand years ago, are made up of 196 aphorisms that offer potent teachings on how to deal with loss and pain, and guidance on how to lead a healthy and fulfilling life. Kelly DiNardo and Amy Pearce-Hayden offer an enjoyable entrée to this yoga training for the mind and spirit by introducing a sutra or group of sutras on a related theme, providing a brief commentary, and then offering writing prompts to allow you to reflect on and apply the meaning of the sutras to your life. The book is at once an introduction to the classical philosophy, a quick guide for students and teachers, and an active self-study that helps you to engage with the wisdom in a deeply personal way.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Self Help

Paperback

About the author

I am the author of several books, including Living the Sutras and Gilded Lili: Lili St. Cyr and the Striptease Mystique. I write The Sunday Stretch newsletter and am also one of the owners of a

Reviews

[Meryl Landau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read a book on the yoga sutras--the ancient philosophical commentary underlying yoga for how to control your mind and life--when I took yoga teacher training many years back. The original book is in Sanskrit, so Americans have to come by it via translation. Many of the early translations in the US, including the very good one I read back then by Swami Satchidananda, are written by Indian gurus.

So it was lovely to come across Living the Sutras by DiNardo and Pearce-Hayden. This is a modern look at these ancient principles, written for our busy, stressed-out, crazy lives. Many Americans don't realize how rich and practical the philosophical underpinnings of the yoga tradition are, and this book is a lovely way for people to discover this. With modern translations, exercises, and occasionally real-world examples (I wish there were more of these, which is what keeps me from giving it 5 stars), it's easy to see how to apply these sutras to our own lives.

The couplet "The source of right knowledge is built on clear sense perception, logic, and verbal communication" (translated in an understandable way from the Sanskrit) is explained as a challenge to question whether our thoughts and beliefs about something are as clear and logical as we might assume. This is followed by an exercise of having a friend write as many words to describe you as they can in five minutes, and you doing the same about yourself. Then you reflect on the two lists and see where they do and don't conform. There are many other equally practical suggestions throughout.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a modern and relevant translation of this important treatise in the yoga world.

[Luke Berman · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a world of trite self-help (I’m talking to you, Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck) this book was solid. Drawing from the texts of Patanjali, DiNardo and Pearce-Hayden make ancient aphorisms accessible and practical. With ongoing journal entries that — if approached earnestly — genuinely challenge you, the text acts as a lovely little guide to begin your yoga journey. I like its emphasis on process, and not trying to market the quick-fix style of trendy, capitalist-fuelled self help that plagues bookshelves everywhere. There really isn’t a shortcut or a singular trite aphorism that will guide you through life. Instead, this book encourages you to engage various facets of life head-on, while recognizing subtle connections between them.

[L.L. Kirchner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patanjali’s yoga sutras contain only one line about physical practice—an exhortation to remain steadily joyfully connected to the earth. What this book does is break down the book’s sometimes inscrutable wisdom—besides being in Sanskrit, the language is often metaphoric in ways that can make the text feel irrelevant. But as this guide shows, through its line-by-line translations and contemporary interpretations that illuminate the sutras, the book is very much alive . It’s a must-read for yoga teachers in training, but also has something to offer anyone who’s looking for guidance on the path of self realization.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this nicely-sized, little book would be wonderful for someone thinking about delving into yoga teacher training or for someone just starting on the yoga path who is yearning to know more about the ethical practice of yoga. It cracks things open a bit. And the translation of the sutras was quite nice. However, I found myself, where I am at, wanting more. I wanted more unpacking, more wrestling, less tidiness. Overall I wished for fewer "reflections" and more content.

[Kelly]

For those who really want a journaling and meditative practice around the Sutras, this would be a great resource. They're laid out succinctly and DiNardo and Pearce-Hayden offer excellent reflection space after each.

That said, it's very basic and meant to be a guide for dipping your toes in. There's not a lot of depth; I wish that the prompts were fewer and instead, more space was given to cracking the Sutras open more fully. This is a not ideal for me book, but one I'd hand to any newcomer, particularly those who have yet to build a self-reflective practice in their yoga.

[Hillary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book presents the yoga sutras simply (in a good way), making them accessible and understandable to even the newest yoga practitioner, yet offering enough depth and real-life connection to keep it interesting for more advanced yogis. Easy to read, worthwhile to contemplate, and highly recommended.

[Cynthia Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has the potential to change your life by changing your thoughts.

One of my favorite parts of this is the journaling activities that the reader is encouraged to do after reading and reflecting on each section of the book. It's meant to be read slowly and digested piece by piece.

Some of the journaling activities involve writing a "prescription" to yourself for how you might adapt your life to incorporate more of Patanjali's philosophies. I liked this word "prescription," since I think harnessing the brain and living more intentionally could potentially create more positive change than some medically prescribed solutions.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! Such a wonderful guide for understanding how we can live a yogic lifestyle in this day and age.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking forward to using this for reflections in 2020.

[Lilly Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had to read this for yoga teacher training, really enjoyed it! It was nice to get a beginner friendly interpretation of the sutras that was meant to be applied to modern life; I will def keep on shelf to revisit.

[Hailing Zong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am grateful that KD and APH translate the ancient wisdom from Pantanjali to something I can understand and appreciate, something that is relevant to everyday life.

[Elizabeth Schlatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice -- I can't read this kind of stuff (e.g. yoga wisdom) without some hand-holding. And the authors help the reader through every one of the first three books of the sutras, and offer reflection exercises to apply the information. I didn't do many of the reflections beyond just thinking about them (one of my least favorite English words is "journal" used as a verb), but I still appreciated them. And at the end of the book, they provide the 3 books of sutras without extra info, which is nice because then you can see fully what you've read. They also have a very extensive and annotated list of additional sources. I didn't absorb everything in this book but I did get a lot. And it's the type of book that you can revisit either from beginning to end or just pop it open and see what you find.

[L1ll14n · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great workbook with lots of prompts throughout to make you think about the information and journal your thoughts as you go. It really makes you think about your values and what is important to you. It is a good breakdown of yoga terminology and the meaning behind it and how it benefits our mind as well as our body. There are some great tips on how to deal with our hectic, connected lives and learn to simplify things a bit more. A good book that helps to simplify the Yoga Sutras and teaches you how they relate to you and your life and how they can help you improve yourself.
Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an advanced reader's copy due to strong demand yoga has at our library. I really was looking for a book that not only explained the history of yoga, but broke down the terminologies and meanings behind yoga and its benefits to the human mind and body. I also loved that Dinardo included an appendix for further reading due to the information our patrons would like to know making the librarian's job easier. The cover as well is very well -designed with appropriate lettering and colors. We will definitely be adding this book to our adult non-fiction collection. 5 stars!

[Linda A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for beginners

This book makes the sutras very accessible to everyone. As a teacher, it gave me some new ideas on how to share sutras in a new way with my students.

[Sarah Beam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise, useful, and profound explanation of the Sutras. I underlined and highlighted nearly every page.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most accessible and understandable interpretation of Patanjali’s The Yoga Sutras. This is basically a journal in a book, explaining each sutra in a simple way and explaining how to live by them in our modern world.

It’s a great book for anyone who is just starting out their yoga journey or anyone who wants to start living a more conscious and intentional life. You really don’t have to be into yoga to read this. I’ve learnt so much about myself through this book, I can’t recommend it enough!

I will definitely be going back to it regularly and redoing the journal prompts and tasks.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend gifted me this book when Amazon sent her two, and what a sweet gift. We're reading the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali for teacher training, which can sometimes be dense and tiresome. This book allowed for a smooth and quick refresher of some of the sutras.

Quotes in paradox:

"Don't settle for a little peace, for a little joy, for petty happiness."

"Where we are is enough."

<3

[Laura Strauss · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book will leave you thinking about it afterwards. The actual sutras are far too dense for me to really dig into on my own, but this book simplified them in a way that has helped me years later. For example - don’t do things that bring suffering to you or others. I realize that’s quite simple wisdom, but reading that absolutely motivated me to bring change to my life.

[Priyanka Vishwakarma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Authors very briefly explained the yoga sutras of Patanjali. Those sutras are not just yoga asanas, it's the way we should be with oneself and others in terms of various aspects like conduct, moral codes, etc. Author also explains the eight limb of yoga in short.

[Knit Spirit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Et soudain, tout s'éclaire !
Un livre incroyable pour vraiment comprendre les Yoga Sutras et à quel point ils s'appliquent à notre vie quotidienne. De très bons axes de réflexion sur la vie et sur soi-même.
En bref : à lire absolument !

[Craig Schuemann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this to be a very approachable introduction to The Yoga Sutras with easy to understand interpretations. Personally I found the constant break of reflection questions to be a bit too much and not allow for space to integrate the teaching before being prompted to reflect.

[Loran Wilburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a 200 RYT and this guide was perfect to help me go deeper into my understanding and application of the sutras on & off the mat! I've been taking one sutra per class and using it to meditate on as we flow. I'll definitely keep this guide handy for the foreseeable future!

[Shawna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice paired down version of the Sutras. Explained very well and great references to day to day life. I really appreciate the journalling cues at the end of each section. Really helps put things in perspective.

[Kai-Ching Tay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book breaks down the verses of yoga sutras and include journaling prompts that creates an added dimension to this reading (& learning) experience. A good learning tool!

[Nashaley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this along with my YTT training and it was great! Very insightful and helpful!

[Traci Bild · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book and was really bummed when it was over! Going to see if there’s anything else written by this author. Just such a great way to wake up every morning and read a section.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting and accessible book for anyone wanting an introduction to the sutras. I am going to re-read it straight away to glean even more wisdom from it.

[Provi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this book. Awesome introduction to the Sutras and their application to everyday life.

[Cherie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. More like a very modern American interpretation of the yoga sutras. Some might really connect with this; not for me.