Reading: Pages 32–63
Live Session: February 15, 2026 8am UTC
This section delves into the traditional framework of yogic learning and the practical foundations necessary for prāṇāyāma practice. Iyengar explores the sacred relationship between guru and śiṣya, drawing on classical examples like Nachiketa and Yama from the Kaṭhopaniṣad. The text emphasizes that true learning requires not just intellectual understanding but embodied practice (sādhana) under proper guidance. Significant attention is given to the role of food (anna) as the foundation for spiritual practice, connecting dietary choices with mental clarity and prāṇic vitality. The chapter on obstacles addresses Patañjali’s comprehensive list of impediments to yogic practice, offering practical solutions rooted in ethical living and disciplined practice. The effects of prāṇāyāma are presented both therapeutically and spiritually, demonstrating how breath practices purify the physical body while preparing consciousness for subtler states of awareness.
Questions to Guide Your Reading
Read these before you start the assigned pages. They’ll help orient your attention.
Which heroic figure from the Kaṭhopaniṣad is mentioned as an example of the ideal student, and what did he seek from Yama
According to the Mahānārāyaṇopaniṣad cited in the text, what is the progression from food to Self-realization?
What are the six “destroyers of yoga practices” mentioned from the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā?
How does Iyengar describe the three categories of students (śiṣyas)?
What specific warning does the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā give about improper prāṇāyāma practice?
Reflection prompts
Read these during or after you read to connect the teachings with your embodied experience.
What “obstacles” from Patañjali’s list do you recognize most in your personal practice?
How has your relationship with food and eating changed through your yoga practice?
In what ways do you see yourself in the three categories of students, and how has this evolved?
How do you balance caution about prāṇāyāma’s power with encouraging students to explore breath practices?
These will be made available 24-48 hours after the session
These will be made available 24-48 hours after the session
This session is part of the Light on Prāṇāyāma Study Pack – a complete resource for those who want ongoing access to all the recordings, study questions, and materials from this cycle.
The Study Pack includes all session recordings (watch and rewatch at your own pace), the complete Study Companion PDF with reading schedule, focus questions, reflection prompts, and practical tools for teaching, key Sanskrit terms with explanations, and a curated bibliography for further exploration.
Agi Wittich is a yoga practitioner since two decades, and is a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher. Wittich studied Sanskrit and Tamil at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, completing a PhD with a focus on Hinduism, Yoga, and Gender. She has published academic papers exploring topics such as Iyengar yoga and women, the effects of Western media on the image of yoga, and an analysis of the Thirumanthiram yoga text.
