In this Keen on Yoga podcast with Edwin Bryant Adam discusses yoga philosophy.

Edwin is a professor of Indology at Rutgers University, New Jersey. He is the author of seven books including a highly popular translation of The Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali.

He is also a devoted practitioner of Bhakti Yoga in the Vaishnite tradition. Originally British, he travelled extensively around India in the late 1970s after his first year of university.

In his research engagements, he lived several years in India where he studied Sanskrit and was trained with several Indian pundits.

Now an established academic, he has lived in the US for many years, teaching internationally as well as being involved in many charitable projects.

In addition to his academic courses, Bryant currently teaches workshops at yoga studios and teacher training courses throughout the country. His lectures and workshop engagements include: The Bhagavad Gita, The Yoga Sutras, Indian Philosophy and Bhakti, and the Krishna Tradition. 

Edwin says “The Sutras attempts to answer those big existential questions that people have always asked. Firstly, who are we? How can we be happy? Those wisdom teachings remain ever relevant. Even if culture changes, consciousness doesn’t.”

Firstly he recommends that yoga practitioners new to the Sutras start with verses one to 15 of chapter one, which explains what yoga is and the nature of the mind, and chapter two, which discusses the eight limbs of yoga.

“Our modern world, more than any other epoch in human history, has universalized and idolized consumerism. The indulgence of the senses of the mind – as the highest goal of life.”

We hope you enjoy this yoga podcast with Edwin Bryant. You can find more about Edwin on his website.