For anyone wanting to deepen their understanding and practice, there are few ancient texts that can rival the clarity and depth of the Yoga Taravali. This 8th-century scripture is unique for many reasons including that it marries three sublime wisdom traditions: Yoga,Tantra and Vedanta. It manages to do something very rare which is to encompass both dualistic and non-dualistic approaches to practice. Yoga is inherently a dualistic tradition that essentially says: you do yoga to move yourself to a better place––a better way of thinking, feeling, or acting. This is after all why most of us are attracted to yoga. Emerging just prior to the dawn of the Tantric period, the Yoga Taravali is the revelation of the great sage, Adi Shankara––a giant of the Vedic tradition and the founder Advaita Vedanta (non-dualism). 

There is something extraordinary to study and practice on a path that says: by all means, do yoga, but keep your eyes open because, at any moment you can have the realization that you are everything you need. There is no teacher, no technique, no destination that holds the magic key. The highest realization is to stop seeking; to stop looking for some ideal object; stop hoping that some object or accomplishment will once and for all make it possible for you to be free. Instead, know that you are what you seek. You are the very essence that is the summit of spiritual experience. There is nothing beyond it. Nothing more to know.

The text is incredibly efficient. The word Taravali means, "cluster of stars.” This refers to the idea that the text presents the most luminous landmarks of practice. Consisting of only 29 slokas or statements, it includes many of the most revered techniques of the Tantrik Hatha Yoga: pranayama, bandha, meditation on the breath, yoga nidra, mudra, and heart-centered meditation among others.

The Yoga Taravali divides its practices into two categories: external (bahir anga) and internal (antar anga) in a framework that goes beyond the familiar eight limbs of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. While the external practices of asana, bandha, and pranayama lay the foundation, it is the internal practices that truly set this text apart. One of the techniques it emphasizes is Kevala Kumbhaka---the spontaneous pause in
breathing that occurs when the mind becomes still. This natural breath suspension is described as the most precious of all pranayama techniques because it reveals the gateway to unity---total absorption in consciousness. In this gap between breaths we can access states of consciousness described as Yoga
Nidra, Raja Yoga, or Sahaja---terms used to point to the various gradations of the state of oneness or pure Being.

But the Yoga Taravali doesn't stop at identifying these states; it provides a specific progression which allows us to enter them. For instance, when in this state of Kevala Kumbhaka, we are instructed to bring our expanded awareness to include different focal points like the heart, the central channel, or third eye, each offering unique experiences and states of wellness.

In nadaanunsandhana, we become absorbed into the unstruck sound or vibration in our own heart. This inner sound is considered a direct connection to our innermost being, our true teacher. As yoga teachers and dedicated practitioners, applying these modalities can dramatically deepen our practice our understanding of the vast horizon, that is the sacred potential of yoga. They remind us that yoga is not just about physical postures or breath control, but a deliberate, and conscious approach to explore the depths of consciousness.

The Yoga Taravali is a roadmap to the most mystical aspects of yoga. I encourage you to contemplate these teachings, to sit with them in your meditation, and to allow them to inform your practice.