I practiced yoga for years before I even picked up a translation of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

After doing so, I became hooked and went on to study the sutras more in-depth.

This foundational text, while is best to study with a teacher (or join a sutra discussion group), is so full of wisdom and offers a complete picture of yoga (as opposed to the McYoga we see today in America).

This post pays tribute to the perfection of the sutras with resources for further study of the sutras as well as a chanting of the first two chapters of the sutras:

• One of my favorite translations of the Yoga Sutras comes from T.K.V Desikachar in his book The Heart of Yoga.
• The Internet archive of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is chock full of information for anyone wanting to take his/her study of the sutras deeper.
• You can download the archive of the Yoga Sutras here. The archive includes translations by multiple authors in a variety of languages, as well as electronic versions of some reference works, translations, sounds, and images.

And speaking of sounds and images, check out these fantastic videos of the most influential yoga teacher, Krishnamacharya, practicing yoga with the chanting of the sutras (the first two chapters) by his grandson Kaustub as the soundtrack (if you’re interested in the chanting of the yoga sutras, visit the Vedic Chant Center).

What a treasure!

I enjoy yoga conferences, but sometimes the travel and the high conference fees can be a bit rough on the bank account.

The smart folks over at YogaHub have come up with a fabulous high-tech alternative — a virtual yoga conference. This 3-day extravaganza — which is the first of its kind — is aptly entitled Yoga, Health, and Happiness. Mark your calendars, because it’s taking place February 19-21.

What I love about this conference is that it’s targeted to yoga practitioners and yoga teachers.

The number of workshops and presenters is mind-boggling and the cost of this 3-day event is roughly the equivalent of a one-day workshop.

And when you register, you get all sorts of free goodies, including a home practice DVD, access to a private discussion forum for conference-goers, and learning tools to enhance your virtual conference experience.

Another excellent program that is really gaining popularity in the yoga industry, is Yoga Burn. Jane from Wellness Warrior wrote a comprehensive review of the program.

I am so excited about this very cool event. Perhaps it’s the techie in me that loves this idea of going virtual. Or it could be the accessibility of this event — even folks on a budget can attend.

I also love the fact that if you can’t attend life, there will be recordings of the sessions available for two weeks after the event.

Hmmm…I wonder if the virtual conference concept will have the iPad effect? (see, that’s the techie geek in me coming through)

Whether the concept of virtual concept tanks or not, I will be attending to see firsthand what this experience is like.

I’m finally buying an e-reader (I held out for a while because I love the tactile pleasure of books, but I’d like to cut down on all the paper so I’m switching to ebooks), so why not go the techie route on yoga conferences?

What do y’all think about the idea of a virtual yoga conference?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.