A stimulating exploration of the Yoga Sutras as not only a classic Yoga text, but one that holds secrets  to waking up in the here and now so you can truly embrace all of life. Friedmann skillfully explains  the traditional teachings while encouraging you to drop preconceptions and to look again more  deeply as a way of assimilating the age-old wisdom of this seminal text, finding clarity, calm, and  strength in daily life. A must for students and practitioners of all levels! 

–Richard Freeman & Mary Taylor, Freeman + Taylor Yoga and authors of When Love Comes to  Light: Bringing Wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita Into Modern Life 

The basic method of Ashtanga (eight-limbed) Yoga has been adopted and refitted over the centuries  to fit the philosophies and practices of just about every classical Indian soteriological tradition:  Hindu, Buddhist and Jain. It is a further testimony to the Yoga Sutras’ universal value, that this tiny  text has been transplanted and similarly modified as it settles into Western cultural  contexts. Friedmann’s Practicing the Yoga Sutras is a very worthy example of this. Mildly flavoring her  commentaries with the Advaita-Vedanta she imbibed from her teacher, Friedmann’s main objective is  less philosophical, and more a softening of the stoic and radical nature of the text. The author’s  project is to present its teachings in a manner that can be put to immediate practical use in normal  daily life. With dedicated spaces for reflection and journaling, the book facilitates a deeper  understanding of the teachings, while encouraging introspection. A very welcome contribution to the  growing body of literature on this seminal meditative text.

—Edwin Bryant, PhD, Professor of Hindu Religion and Philosophy, Rutgers University and author  of The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali: A New Edition, Translation, and Commentary 

With wisdom, grace and humor, Carroll Ann Friedmann gives us the clear message that spiritual  practice is accessible to everyone. Her storytelling guides us through the cherished Yoga Sutras  towards an understanding of spiritual transformation through everyday practices, discipline and  love. Friedmann invites every one of us to find our own connection between the inner work of  personal growth, and the outer work of living life, day-to-day, while finding our own path towards  peace and liberation.

–Ina Stephens, MD, e-RYT, C-IAYT, FAAP  Pediatrics Infectious Diseases, Medical Yoga and Integrative Medicine, University of Virginia Medical Center  

This book breathes new life into the Yoga Sutras, and shows us how their ancient teachings can help  us mend our broken relationships with our minds. After the desiccations of recent scholarship, the  author brings the relevance of the work back to light. In her hands, we feel the pulse of the Yoga  Sutras once again—warm, reassuring and vibrantly alive. Here is an invitation not only to read the  sutras, but to imbibe their nectarean wisdom, and allow them to transform us from the inside. This  book should be circulated widely, to remind us of what Yoga practice is all about. Essential reading  for Yoga students.

–Ty Landrum, PhD, Director of the Yoga Workshop and International Yoga teacher