My Daily Thread

Śauca — Sutra 2.40 Sanskrit (Transliteration) śaucāt svāṅga-jugupsā parair asaṁsargaḥ English Translation From purity arises a natural distaste for excess attachment to one's own body and for contact with what clouds clarity. Plain-language meaning When purity develops: Obsession with the body loosens Craving, clutter, and unnecessary contact fall away You stop feeding what agitates you Key insigh...

शौचसन्तोषतपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः Niyamas 1:32. śauca-santoṣa-tapaḥ-svādhyāya-īśvara-praṇidhānāni niyamāḥ In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Niyamas are the inner disciplines of yoga. If the Yamas describe how we relate to the world around us, the Niyamas describe how we relate to ourselves . They are practical, grounded practices—not moral rules or spiritual ideals to perfect. They'r...

  Man in the Arena In this episode, Jeff reads and reflects on one of the most enduring passages on courage and participation: Theodore Roosevelt's "Theodore Roosevelt'" from his 1910 speech Citizenship in a Republic . This reflection isn't about winning, achievement, or public success. It's about something far more intimate and challenging — the willingness to step into the arena of our own lives...

A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! As we usher out 2025, we play the yearly word game. A huge thank you to all the My Daily Thread Tribe! We an extra shout out to Peter and Laura, both who admitted that My Daily Thread was their number 1 Podcast in 2025!   Now let's finish this season  ... Choose the word that represents 2025, put it on paper, then send it back to the Universe with a big thank...

Sutra 2.39 अपारिग्रहस्थैर्ये जन्मकथन्तासम्बोधः Aparigrahasthairye janma-kathantā-sambodhah Word-by-Word Breakdown Aparigraha (अपारिग्रह) a = not / without pari = around, excessive, surrounding graha = grasping, holding, seizing → Non-possessiveness, non-grasping, freedom from hoarding Sthairye (स्थैर्ये) From sthira = steady, firm, stable In locative form: when established in steadiness → When one...

Join Jeff and Eunice Peterson as they discuss Trauma, Gratitude and Yoga.   Jeff and Eunice will be conducting a workshop together at Yoga Passage in Calgary, Alberta on the weekend of November the 8th.    

We continue our exploration of the yamas in Patañjali's Yoga Sūtras with the fourth principle: brahmacarya . This yama is often misunderstood, yet it carries profound wisdom for how we direct our energy in modern life. The sūtra is Yoga Sūtra II.38 : brahmacarya-pratiṣṭhāyāṃ vīrya-lābhaḥ "When one is firmly established in brahmacarya, vitality is gained." Sanskrit breakdown: brahmacarya — literall...

Continuing the theme... Yoga Sūtra II.37 , which speaks to the practice of asteya , or non-stealing. The sūtra reads: asteya-pratiṣṭhāyāṃ sarva-ratnopasthānam "When one is firmly established in non-stealing, all jewels present themselves." — Edwin Bryant Let's pause on this idea of pratiṣṭhām — being firmly established. When asteya becomes the foundation of how we live, "all the jewels" ( sarva-ra...

287-Asteya – don't steal my primary series poster   In this episode of My Daily Thread , we continue our exploration of the Yoga Sūtras , searching for practical wisdom we can apply every day. We've already covered ahiṃsā (non-harming) and satya (truthfulness). Now, we turn to the third yama: asteya — non-stealing, "not taking that which is not freely given." Yoga Sūtra II.37 says: asteya-pratiṣṭh...

It's been a minute — I took some time to get out to the mountains, visit friends, and reset. Now we're back, continuing our journey through the Yoga Sūtras . If you want your own "sunset and reset," check out the NOW is the time to check out the San Pancho retreats with Ziggy and me in Feb 2026. For the past couple of weeks, we've been exploring satya-pratiṣṭhām — being firmly established in truth...

In this special episode we are happy to have Dr. Paul Bramadat back to chat about his book Yogalands. Paul Bramadat received his BA in religious studies from the University of Winnipeg (1990), his MA in religion and culture from McGill University (1993) and his PhD in religious studies from McMaster University (1998). He taught in the Religious Studies Department at the University of Winnipeg from...

Today we're taking another pass at satya, the second yama from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. The sutra we're focusing on is YS 2.36:  satya-pratiṣṭhāyāṁ kriyā-phala-āśrayatvam —when one is firmly established in truth, their actions bear fruit. This is a powerful idea. It suggests that when we are rooted in truth, what we say comes to life. Something here touches on the modern idea of manifestation but...

YS 2.36 says: satya-pratiṣṭhāyām kriyā-phala-āśrayatvam — "When one is firmly established in truthfulness, then their words become so powerful that the result of action rests upon them." We're back in the section of the Yoga Sutras that deals with pratiṣṭhā , being deeply and firmly established in a state of being. This time, the quality is satya , truthfulness. Patanjali says that when truth beco...

Yoga Sūtra 2.35 – ahiṁsā pratiṣṭhāyām tat-sannidhau vaira-tyāgaḥ When one is firmly established in non-violence, all hostility ceases in their presence. Today, we return to ahiṁsā pratiṣṭhām —being established in non-violence—as taught in Yoga Sūtra 2.35 . We've already explored how the yamas and niyamas are not just rules, but deeply personal practices— moral and ethical disciplines that offer a...

Yoga Sūtra 2.35 – ahiṁsā pratiṣṭhāyām tat-sannidhau vaira-tyāgaḥ When one is firmly established in non-violence, then all hostility ceases in their presence. Today, we reflect again on ahiṁsā pratiṣṭhām —being firmly established in non-harming. Patanjali teaches that this is not a casual virtue but a transformative power: when someone has deeply integrated non-violence into their being, conflict a...

Today, we return to our study of aṣṭāṅga yoga , the eight-limbed path outlined by Patañjali. As a reminder, the eight limbs are: Yama – ethical restraints Niyama – personal observances Āsana – posture Prāṇāyāma – breath regulation Pratyāhāra – withdrawal of the senses Dhāraṇā – concentration Dhyāna – meditation Samādhi – absorption or union The first four limbs are external practices —disciplines...

Today we continue our deep dive into Yoga Sūtra 2.34 , staying with the powerful teaching of pratipakṣa bhāvanam —the deliberate cultivation of opposite, positive thoughts to replace those that are harmful or negative. This is no abstract philosophy; it's a daily practice for those on the yogic path. We begin by revisiting YS 2.33 : "vitarkāḥ hiṃsādayaḥ kṛta-kārita-anumoditāḥ lobha-krodha-moha-pūr...

Today , we continue our deep dive into  Yoga Sūtra 2.34 , staying with the powerful teaching of  pratipakṣa bhāvanam —the deliberate cultivation of opposite, positive thoughts to replace harmful or negative ones . This is no abstract philosophy; it's a daily practice for those on the yogic path. We begin by revisiting YS 2.33 : "vitarkāḥ hiṃsādayaḥ kṛta-kārita-anumoditāḥ lobha-krodha-moha-pūrvakāḥ...

We continue our journey with Yoga Sūtra 2.33 , and now deepen into the next verse — 2.34 . If 2.33 gave us the prescription — pratipakṣa-bhāvanam — then 2.34 shows us the diagnosis, the depth of the problem. Let's start by recalling the previous sutra: vitarka-bādhane pratipakṣa-bhāvanam वितर्कबाधने प्रतिपक्षभावनम्॥२.३३॥ "When disturbed by negative thoughts, cultivate their opposites." Vitarka ref...

We continue our exploration through the Sādhana Pāda , arriving again at Yoga Sūtra 2.33 — a powerful and practical teaching that has everything to do with the life we're living today. vitarka-bādhane pratipakṣa-bhāvanam वितर्कबाधने प्रतिपक्षभावनम्॥२.३३॥ "When disturbed by negative thoughts, cultivate the opposite." It's deceptively simple yet deeply profound. This teaching lives not in theory but...

Let's review Yoga Sūtra 2.32 , which lists the five niyamas , or personal observances — and in reviewing this sūtra, what strikes me most is the elegant simplicity of the path it offers. These teachings, though ancient, are profoundly relevant today — perhaps even more so in our overstimulated, fast-paced world. Let's revisit the niyamas through a simple lens of choice: Śauca (शौच) – Choose simpli...

The yamas and niyamas are more than philosophical principles — they are ethical and moral disciplines, and for me, they're the practices I return to again and again in my journey to become a better human being. Now, let me slip in a little reminder — the San Pancho full court press is on . Our upcoming retreat in beautiful San Pancho is designed to lift your spirit, deepen your practice, and recon...

Yesterday, we began exploring the niyamāḥ , the observances of aṣṭāṅga yoga as laid out by Patañjali in Yoga Sūtra 2.32 . We looked closely at śauca , purity or clarity, and how it stands as the foundational niyama , much like ahiṁsā is the cornerstone of the yamas . Today, we turn our attention to the second niyama : santoṣa — contentment. Santoṣa means to be content with what is — to rest in the...

Yesterday, we explored YS 2.31 , and today we continue by honoring a beautiful insight from scholar Edwin Bryant. He draws particular attention to the importance of this sutra, emphasizing the universality of the mahāvratam —the great vows. When we hear the terms mahāvratam (great vow) and sārvabhauma (universal or applicable to all people, places, and times), we begin to grasp just how expansive...

We continue our journey through the Sādhana Pāda of the Yoga Sūtras, exploring the practices that Patanjali offers to help us move toward viveka-khyāti —discriminative wisdom. In YS 2.29 , we were introduced to the eight limbs of yoga, aṣṭāṅga yoga , and now in YS 2.30 , Patanjali begins with the first of those limbs: the yamas . YS 2.30 : अहिंसासत्यास्तेय ब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहाः यमाः ahiṁsā-satya-as...