Practice, Let Go, Trust: Abhyāsa, Vairāgya, and Śraddhā in the Yoga Sūtra

Practice, Let Go, Trust: Abhyāsa, Vairāgya, and Śraddhā in the Yoga Sūtra

From Yoga Therapy Hour with Amy Wheeler by Amy Wheeler

April 17, 2026 · 47 min · Season 10 · Episode 8

About this episode

Amy Wheeler explores foundational teachings from Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra on practice, detachment, and trust in the process of transformation.

In this solo episode, Amy Wheeler explores three foundational teachings from Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra that describe how real transformation unfolds over time: abhyāsa (steady practice), vairāgya (letting go of attachment), and śraddhā (deep trust in the process). While these terms are often translated simply as “practice and detachment,” Patañjali presents them as a sophisticated framework for understanding how the mind stabilizes and how human behavior gradually shifts. Amy reflects on how these teachings describe the ongoing work of regulating the mind, working with habitual patterns, and cultivating a steadier relationship with our internal experience. The conversation begins with Yoga Sūtra 1.2 — yogaḥ citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ , the well-known description of yoga as the process of working with the fluctuations of the mind. Amy explains how these fluctuations influence behavior, emotional reactions, communication patterns, and the way we show up in relationships and daily life. From both a yogic and modern nervous system perspective, the mind tends to move along well-worn pathways shaped by conditioning and repetition. Patañjali offers a clear response to this reality. In Yoga Sūtra…

People in this episode

Host: Amy Wheeler

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Books & works: Yoga Sūtra

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