Patanjali Yoga Sutras: 5 qualities of Samadhi
In the sutra 1.20, Patanjali describes five qualities that support the attainment of samadhi, deep meditative absorption. These qualities also apply to all other Yoga practices. These five qualities are: śraddhā, faith; vīrya, vitality; smṛtiḥ, mindfulness; samādhi, a consistent practice, and prajñā, wisdom.
śraddhā-vīrya- smṛtiḥ samādhi-prajñā-pūrvaka itareṣām
Samādhi is preceded by faith, energy, mindfulness, regular meditation practice and wisdom.
Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.20
The five qualities of Samadhi
Sutra 1.20 describes five qualities that support the attainment of samadhi, deep meditative absorption. These qualities also apply to all other Yoga practices. These five qualities are: śraddhā, faith; vīrya, vitality; smṛtiḥ, mindfulness; samādhi, a consistent practice, and prajñā, wisdom.
Śraddhā, faith, is formed from the Sanskrit root dhā which means “to place” and śra which refers to the heart, so, śraddhā is literally to place in the heart, referring to an unshakable belief in our own ability to progress along the spiritual journey and recognize our true spiritual Being. Placing this faith in the heart emphasizes that it is a lived experience at the very core of our Being and not just a belief.
Vīrya, vitality and enthusiasm, is a natural extension of śraddhā because, as we focus confidently and wholeheartedly on our spiritual journey, we release doubts, distractions, stress and anxiety, thereby naturally enhancing our level of vital energy. In turn, enhanced vital energy strengthens our ability to commit ourselves to the Yoga journey.
Smṛtiḥ, memory, refers to continual awareness or remembering of who we are, spirit and material form and that the mind and body are vehicles for learning leading to awakening.
Samādhi refers to practicing meditation and all other Yogic practices continually which is absolutely essential for overcoming conditioning.
Prajñā, wisdom, is a clear vision of reality, which is the fruit of the other four qualities. The essence of this vision is a lived experience that we are spirit, together with absolute certainty that spiritual awakening is our life’s purpose, meaning and destiny.
As these five qualities coalesce in meditation, yoga practices and in daily living, we cultivate the foundation needed for the recognition of our true Being.
By Joseph Le Page.
About Joseph Le Page, founder of Integrative Yoga
Joseph Le Page founded Integrative Yoga and Integrative Yoga Therapy in 1993, and is a pioneer in the field of Yoga therapy training programs. He began teaching yoga therapy in hospital settings in 1995 and continues up to the present as Director of The Healthy Heart Program, which conducts Yoga Therapy group programs in public health settings in Brazil.
Joseph has been a speaker at major conferences including Yoga Journal, the International Association of Yoga Therapists, the Kripalu Yoga Teacher’s Association, the International Association of Yoga and Ayurveda, and others. He is co-founder and director of the Enchanted Mountain Yoga Center in Garopaba, Brazil, one of the largest Yoga retreat centers in South America.
He is the co-author of the book Yoga Toolbox for Teacher and Students, one of the most widely used materials in teacher training programs in the US and in Brazil, published by Integrative Yoga. He is also co-author of the book Mudras for Healing and Transformation, also published by Integrative Yoga
Patanjali Yoga Sutra: Dispassion
tat paraṁ puruṣakhyāter guṇa vaitṛṣṇyaṁ – Sutra 1.16
That supreme non-attachment is absence of craving even for the forces of nature, the three gunas, through direct realization of puruṣa, the true Self.
This sutra states that the highest form of dispassion involves releasing all attachment even to the three gunas, the basic forces within nature.
What are these forces and how would we release attachment to them?
The gunas are the basic polarities in all of nature, including our own bodies.
Rajas is the polarity of energy; It is what motivates all of our doing and achieving; All of our desire to get followed by the desire to keep are the result of rajas. Rajas is also the desire and even greed to get more and more. It is also the anger when we don’t get what we want and the jealousy when someone else does.
Tamas is the opposite polarity of rajas; It is inertia and lethargy, a lack of motivation and a resistance to doing that which needs to be done. It is also a lack of purpose and meaning, a lack of direction in which we drift through life satisfied with momentary sense pleasures but with no definite direction.
Sattva is balance; In some ways it is a middle point between rajas and tamas, so we have the energy to achieve our basic needs but we recognize that material things are not ends in themselves, only means to recognizing our deeper truth which is our own true Being.
The Sattvic state is very much aligned with physical and psycho-emotional health for balance in the way we perceive life cultivates balance in the autonomic nervous system and in every system and organ of the body.
The means to gain mastery over the gunas and thereby experience absolute dispassion begins with awareness. Throughout the day and the week, we can question which guna or combination of gunas is present in our thoughts, feelings and in the physical body.
We can then question whether this activity of the gunas is really taking us where we want to go. Are we deepening our self-knowledge, happiness and peace or are we moving away from where we want to be?
Next, we assess our attitudes and beliefs because the gunas we experience in daily living will always be a reflection of these. Do these attitudes reflect our highest intention and our life’s deepest meaning?
Through this process we can analyze both the gunas as they presented themselves in our lives and the attitudes that generate them, gradually leading to the release of thoughts and feelings, and their effect on our body that no longer serves our journey.
Finally we release into that deeper self our inner Being in meditation to abide in Sattvic peace and tranquility as a portal to our life’s deeper purpose and meaning.
Pranayama, Mudras, Bandhas: The Anatomy of the Subtle Body with Joseph Le Page
Meets live virtually weekly on Tuesdays from 8:30-11:30 AM Mountain Time
November 4, 2025 – February 3, 2026
(No classes Dec 23 or 30 | 12 week, 36-hour course)
In the ancient texts of Hatha Yoga, which include instruction in asana and pranayama, the most important element of study is the understanding and experience of the body of subtle energy. This body is made up of energy centers (chakras), energy channels (nadis), and energy currents (prana vayus).
It is through the knowledge of this subtle body that Yoga postures and other practices are performed with ease and fluidity. This experiential understanding of the subtle body is also key in optimizing the health benefits of Yoga, including physical and psychological flexibility, equanimity and optimal functioning of all the physiological systems. The subtle body also serves as a bridge to our spiritual Being through understanding the intelligence and energy at the heart of creation.
The sciences of pranayama, mudra and bandha allow us to awaken and channel the energies of the subtle body and are therefore essential for receiving all of Yoga’s benefits. In this course, we will gain an in-depth understanding of pranayama, mudra and bandha, as well as pranic healing techniques, all of which serve to create a deep awakening of the subtle body, harmony in our physical being, psycho-emotional equanimity and an unfolding of the full potential of spirituality.
The science of pranayama encompasses the traditional breathing practices that awaken the subtle body, optimize our physiology, balance the mind and emotions and serve as a doorway to our spiritual Being. This course presents 30 pranayamas along with their variations and therapeutic applications, allowing the teacher to instruct pranayama in therapeutic settings, within yoga classes, and to offer pranayama workshops at the beginning and intermediate levels. The pranayama material is supported by the soon to be released book, Pranayama for Healing and Transformation, by Joseph Le Page and Karin Silberberg.
Mudras are gestures of hands, face and body to balance our physical being, awaken subtle energy and serve as a bridge to spirituality. This course focuses on the use of mudras therapeutically and combining mudras and pranayamas in Yoga Therapy. The course also presents the use of mudras for meditation and spiritual transformation. The study of mudras is based on the book Mudras for Healing and Transformation by Joseph Le Page and Lilian Aboim.
Bandhas play a key role within Asana practice and also in pranayama. Within the texts of Hatha Yoga, bandhas are included in the category of mudras. They have a special role in creating an energetic container within the physical body for the awakening and channeling of subtle energy and the unfolding of our spiritual Being. This course presents the various dimensions of bandha practice in pranayama, asana, and meditation.
This course also presents the therapeutic application of pranayama, mudra and bandha for individual and group Yoga Therapy sessions. Additionally, we learn how to channel the energy of the subtle body through pranic healing, an ancient Indian science that directs breath and prana to specific areas of the body to optimize physical health and remove energetic blockages.
Through this course, you attain an in-depth understanding of the science of pranayama, mudra and bandha to heal the physical body, awaken and channel subtle energy, balance the mind and emotions and unite more deeply with your spiritual Being.
Fees, Eligibility and Continuing Education:
- This course is open to all Inner Peace Yoga Therapy students as well as yoga teachers/yoga therapists from other schools
- For those already certified as Yoga Therapists (C-IAYT), this course offers 36 hours of continuing education via Approved Professional Development
- Tuition fee $500 payable below.
This 36-hour course will meet virtually each Tuesday from November 4, 2025 – February 3, 2026.
Class time is 8:30—11:30am MT each week, no class Dec 23 or 30. Students are encouraged to attend sessions live, but each session will be recorded and placed on our learning platform so that students can also participate via recording. Students are expected to listen to the recordings from any missed session before the next week’s session takes place.
