Sutra II.i chants by Rachel

Posted on May 19, 2011
By Rachel
In Yoga Practice

This chant is inspired by my intrepid teacher trainees up here in Whistler, who asked me to figure out a chant to the first sutra of the second pada of Patanjali’s yoga sutras. (For those unfamiliar, the Yoga Sutras are a 2,000 year old text with tons of good tidbit on how to make your mind less crazy. It’s good stuff.)

This sutra has a special place in my heart. Roughly translated, it means that yoga in action has three parts: 1. willingness to endure intensity for the sake of transformation (tapas), 2. self-study (svadyaya), and 3. surrendering it all back to the big ol’ Cosmic Spirit (Isvara Pranidhanani). It reminds me of the Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the strength to change the things I must, and the wisdom to know the difference. Sutra II-i Another a capella version: Sutra II-i a capella

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Rachel Scott

Rachel supports yoga teachers and studios around the world to create transformational education experiences that help them thrive in their business, share their passion, and inspire more people to practice yoga. Her extensive knowledge and experience include: earning two masters degrees, authoring three books, leading 4,000+ hours of TT, building a teacher training college for a national yoga company, and working behind the scenes in yoga studio & teacher management for more than fifteen years. As a writer and speaker, she continually wrestles with the juicy bits of life: relationships, authenticity, and discovering meaning in this crazy, wildish world. E-RYT 500, YACEP, BA, MFA, MSci. Learn more about Rachel.