From the Yoga R&D podcast

Reinterpreting the Yoga Sutra

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Ranju Roy and Dave Charlton, who have written a book about practical engagement with yoga philosophy (which I wholeheartedly recommend).

Ranju and Dave have decades of experience as teachers and practitioners, and their approach to the Yoga Sutra is a refreshing combination of accessible and scholarly.

Although the text has the ultimate aim of renouncing the world, they show how its underlying psychology can also be applied in daily life - improving our relationships both with each other and ourselves.

Drawing on my experience as a reporter - and my studies at SOAS with yoga academics - I asked Dave and Ranju to explain how they work with Patanjali’s teachings.

Although they reinterpret his message, they do so in a way that’s faithful to the spirit of the text, which makes it more relevant to modern practitioners. You can listen to the interview below - it’s from their new podcast, Yoga R&D, which is launching soon.

The book itself will be published in October by Pinter and Martin in the UK - and in the U.S. by Red Wheel in November.

As you may be aware, the best-known text about yoga philosophy has little to say about modern yoga. But what if someone told you that Patanjali's sutras weren't even a practice guide, because they only existed to be chanted by priests? This is what happened on a recent course with Michel Angot, the latest charismatic teacher to use the Yoga Sutra to promote other ideas: in his case, the importance of Brahmins and their role in oral transmission of sacred teachings.

Patanjali and Practice

Reinterpreting the Yoga Sutra

Further Reading