Version 1.0 · For trained practitioners. Not a self-help resource.
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Yoga
Classical yoga as systematised in Patañjali's Yogasūtra (c. 350–450 CE): an eightfold discipline aimed at the cessation of mental fluctuations and the discrimination of awareness (puruṣa) from nature (prakṛti). Postural practice as now taught is largely a twentieth-century development.
South Asia · Status: Open
Coaching Practitioner Manual §2.1, pp. 16–19 · territory order corrected; citations unverified. Correspondences are exploratory, not validated.
Overview
The Yoga Sūtras (1.2) describe Yoga as the stilling of fluctuations of the mind: योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः. Yoga is an ethical, contemplative and embodied discipline, not simply postural exercise. Its eight limbs are yama (ethical restraints), niyama (observances), āsana (posture), prāṇāyāma (breath practice), pratyāhāra (sense withdrawal), dhāraṇā (concentration), dhyāna (meditation) and samādhi (absorption). The source describes a bridge between cognition, embodiment and transformation. Classical Yoga draws on a Sāṃkhya distinction between puruṣa and prakṛti; later Yoga–Vedānta syntheses differ (p. 14).
Coaching relevance
| Dimension | Source perspective | Coaching framing |
|---|---|---|
| Presence | Embodied awareness through breath, posture and focus | Grounding and reduced reactivity |
| Identity | Inquiry into ego attachments | Hold self-concept lightly |
| Narrative | Observation of thought as pattern, not truth | Examine limiting stories |
| Regulation | Breath and prāṇa as state-shifting language | Resource overwhelm within scope |
| Integration | Union of mind, body and awareness | Track cognitive, somatic and relational coherence |
Territory correspondences
| Territory | Exploratory source correspondence |
|---|---|
| 1 · Consensus Reality | Roles and habits; yama and niyama as ethical foundations (Bryant, 2009; Feuerstein, 2001). |
| 2 · Personal Narrative | Saṃskāras (conditioned imprints), questioning the ego-story (Bryant, 2009). |
| 3 · Adjusted Cognition | Heightened interoception through āsana and regulated breathing (Feuerstein, 2001). |
| 4 · Imaginal / Transcendent Visualisation | Inner visualisation through mantra and dhāraṇā (Feuerstein, 2001). |
| 5 · Oneness / Union with Source | Samādhi and felt unity (Deutsch, 1973; Bryant, 2009). |
| 6 · Ego Death / Dissolution | Surrender of the doer-self; strong energetic experiences require qualified support (Feuerstein, 2001). |
| 7 · Integration / Return | Viveka (discernment) and vairāgya (detachment) in daily service (Feuerstein, 2001; Bryant, 2009). |
Practice reflection
Breath as Anchor, Thought as Cloud · 10 minutes
The source suggests seated breathing in for four and out for six, noticing contact with the chair or floor, labelling thoughts “thinking”, and asking “Who is noticing this?” Use with consent and an eyes-open, natural-breath alternative where needed. This is not clinical care.
Further reading
Source anchors (p. 18): Bryant, The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali (2009); Feuerstein, The Yoga Tradition (2001); Deutsch, Advaita Vedānta (1973).
Further reading (p. 19): Patañjali, Yoga Sūtras; T. K. V. Desikachar, The Heart of Yoga; B. K. S. Iyengar, Light on Yoga; Stephen Cope, Yoga and the Quest for the True Self; James Mallinson, Roots of Yoga.
Anchors (APA 7)
Bryant (2009); Mallinson & Singleton (2017), Roots of Yoga.