Yoga, Power & Spirit: Patanjali the Shaman

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is the classic Hindu text on the spiritual practice of yoga. Written more than 2,000 years ago, these teachings provide a rich, contemplative understanding of yoga and philosophy. Derived from an ancient oral tradition, when the Divine feminine was worshiped, the Yoga Sutras were later taught by priests and scholars from a masculine tradition that obscured their deep wisdom. While there are many scholarly translations of the Yoga Sutras, in this book, best-selling author and shaman Alberto Villoldo reveals how these teachings are available to us at all times—without gurus, temples, or decades of study. Villoldo’s own fieldwork with the high shamans of the Americas has shown that the goals of shamanism and yoga are identical, and he demonstrates the parallels in their practices. In a series of short, inspirational passages from the Sutras, the reader is led toward self-realization and enlightenment in its simplest form. In this treasured book, Villoldo brings to life the spiritual teachings of yoga in a pure and practical way—stripped of dogma and brimming with poetry and spirit.