Kaivalya Pada & The Quest Of The Soul

To experience the presence of a Guru or saint for the first time. 

When you witness their demeanor, what is it that you see?

When you feel their presence, how are you impacted?

Many sadhakas (spiritual seekers) look back vividly on their time with one of these pristine souls. 

Whether it be in an ashram in some faraway land, or even somewhere you call home, these spiritual titans often find us in the strangest of places – and oftentimes in the darkest, most tumultuous periods of our lives. 

Some on the yogic path were graced by the presence, or even the tutelage, of Guruji BKS Iyengar. 

On my personal journey, I was gifted with the practice of Iyengar Yoga from the age of 21, and later had the privilege of many years of private study with Sri Krishan Mantriji. 

The esoteric spirit of a guru, sage, or saint is carried through their wisdom teachings. 

Even those students not yet found by a guru experience a microcosm of what their own teachers encountered through the presence and direct instructions of their own guru. 

By the living spirit inherent in the Param Para, we can all be touched, and our lives transformed.

And yet tangibly, what are these forces? 

Is it the magnetism of a truly free soul?

Some would call it a communicable state of consciousness that guides us to our truest inner Self.

An attained esoteric wisdom infused with the divine. 

The Guru subtly guides us on a journey, often hidden to us. 

A pathway to the soul that many a tradition over numerous centuries have attempted to follow.

These spiritual masters are seldom interested in the siddhis: psychic abilities attained through stillness and the discipline of samyama.

Nor are they necessarily focused on enlightenment, supposedly the end goal. 

‘It’s all about the journey, not the destination,’ as the old saying goes.  

Just as the greatest gurus and saints from different wisdom traditions are, for the most part, quite similar, so too are the paths different that wisdom traditions take on the journey to the soul.

When following the yogic path, you climb the ladder of consciousness as described in The Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali. 

Often quite early on in your studies, you begin an immersion in Patanjali’s practical teachings of Sadhana Pada – literally translating to ‘The Book of Spiritual Practice’.

As one begins to traverse the meditative depths, conceptualizations of Samadhi Pada make an appearance. Samadhi Pada means ‘The Book of Meditative Absorption’.

And for the rare few who have truly immersed themselves in the sage Patanjali’s first 2 books, they may study the extraordinary esoteric accomplishments of Vibhuti Pada – the psychology of psychic abilities attained through stillness. 

Yet Patanjali’s final book, Kaivalya Pada, is often understandably ignored. 

For the modern yogi, enlightenment just seems so far off. 

Rarely a goal.

More often, a mere curiosity at best. 

As my late guru Sri Krishan Mantriji once said:

“Why strive for enlightenment when goals such as peace of mind, higher consciousness, and a meaningful life are so much more attainable with dedicated practice?” 

However, those who have the privilege of studying the sage Patanjali’s final book quickly find themselves surprised. 

It is, in fact, all about the progressive spiritual journey, not the destination. 

Kaivalya Pada is the ultimate synthesis of the knowledge from Samadhi Pada and Sadhana Pada, for the yogi who is truly prepared for a deep and conscious integration of the teachings. 

Rather than teaching the attainment of the siddhis described in Vibhuti Pada, Patanjali reveals how to avoid the entanglements of the ego and the many traps inherent to these incredible capacities. 

Subjects often merely described in the first books are now presented in a practical and systematic framework, illuminating all four works of the entire Yogic scripture. 

The Sanskrit term is Krama, meaning to present the teachings gradually, from the earliest stages to the highest attainments of Yogic mastery.

Which is likely why BKS Iyengar once called Kaivalya Pada “The quest of the soul”. 

In its pages, we witness a step-by-step framework on how to live in a tumultuous world without being of this world, as yogis. 

Capturing the unique precepts of the Samadhi, Sadhana, Vibhuti, and Kaivalya Padas, reapproaching the teachings as a ladder of development. 

Rather than a fixation on enlightenment, Kaivalya Pada elaborates upon and finalizes topics left only partially presented in the sage Patanjali’s first three books. 

Guiding the dedicated sadhaka through the attainment of the 4 goals of life, at the highest of levels. 

Followed by a vivid description of how to free yourself from those goals, when you’ve “been there and done that,” so to speak.

All achieved through an impenetrable inner-anchoring in high consciousness.

Kaivalya pada demonstrates how a yogi’s surroundings don’t require cultivation or care to aid stability of mind.

A common crutch we witness as yogis is that life requires tranquility, peace, and stability in order to have evenness of mind.

It teaches us how to be truly immune to our environment. 

Absolute independence. 

Inner freedom. 

Kavailya. 

Vidya Institute Is Delighted To Present

Kavailya Pada & The Quest Of The Soul

Inner Freedom & Patanjali’s Ladder Of Consciousness

Philosophy, Scripture, & Guided Sanskrit Sadhanas With Gitte Bechsgaard RP PhD CIYT-III

Guided Iyengar Yoga Asana-Pranayama Integration Classes Featuring Gloria Goldberg CIYT-IV

Live Online Program – With Classes Extending From October 11th, 2025 To August 27th, 2026

During this full-year curriculum, you will participate in an advanced immersion through Kaivalya Pada’s esoteric sutras. Texts will later link back to relevant groups of sutras from the other 3 of Patanjali’s Padas, where we will then engage in integrative practice, philosophy, and sadhana, following the path set out in Kaivalya Pada. 

Both weekend workshops and weekly classes are composed of a lecture session featuring Gitte Bechsgaard RP PhD CIYT-III, including philosophy, scripture study, and guided mantra sadhana, followed by an integration-focused class of guided Iyengar Yoga-Pranayama practice with Gloria Goldberg CIYT-IV. 

During Our Weekly Sessions Together, You Will Discover:

• The Culmination Of The Yogic Journey: An Advanced Integration Of Core Concepts From Samadhi & Sadhana Pada

• BKS Iyengar’s Intricate Art Of Sequencing: The Pathways Towards Perfection In Asana

• Escaping Entanglement With The Ego: How Kaivalya Pada Carries The Keys To Transverse The Vibhuti Pada

• Evading Traps Implicit To The Journey: Understanding Temptations Derived Through High Accomplishment

• The 4 Approaches To Higher Consciousness: Examining The Pathways To Inner Freedom 

• Aushadhi, Elixirs, And Soma: Shortcuts One Can Take & Risks To The Spiritual Seeker

• Practical Steps To Develop A Clear Intuition Through Your Daily Sadhana

• Peace Of Mind Vs. Enlightenment: Approaches To Higher States Of Consciousness For The Modern Practitioner

• Patanjali’s Guide To Go Beyond The Gunas & Uncover The Sanctity Of The Guru’s Psyche Through Iyengar’s Sadhana

• The 4 Goals Of Life (Purushartha): A Vivid Portrait Of Their Highest Levels Of Attainment 

• How You Can Go Above & Beyond Modern Psychology: Illuminating Samadhi Padha To Journey Towards Inner Freedom

• Do We Truly Die? Liberation, Enlightenment, The Transmigration Of The Soul

• How To Maintain ‘Quality Of Consciousness’ (While Avoiding Imprisonment By The Siddhis)

• Kaivalya For The Modern Age: Remaining In This World Without Being Of This World

• 5 Types Of Yogic Mastery: An Exploration Of Each Method One Can Use To Gain A Siddhi 

• The Ladder Of Consciousness & Stages Of The Journey Of Awakening

• How The Sage Patanjali & The Baghavad Gitta Paint A Picture Of The Perfect Yogi In An Imperfect World

• Buddhist Vs. Yogic Thought: Differences In The Spiritual Journey & Destinations Reached Through Mastery

• Iyengar’s “Crowning Glory” – Understood Through The Integration Of All 4 Of The Sage Patanjali’s Padas

• How Kaivalya Pada Carries The Key To Truly Unlock The Teachings Of Samadhi & Sadhana Pada

• What Is A Guru: Witnessing The Psychospiritual Journey In Reverse

• Applying Karma Theory To Asana-Prayanama Sadhana: Sensitivity & Attunement To Prevent Physical Ailments

• The Supreme Teaching On Yogic Psychology For The Dedicated Yogi

• And Many More Wisdom Teachings Never Before Taught During Vidya Institute’s 23 Year History

Starting this autumn, you’ll participate in an integrative exploration of each of the sage Patanjali’s first books, taught from the perspective of Kaivalya Pada.  

The wisdom teachings of BKS Iyengar & Sri Krishan Mantriji will elucidate this journey in navigating and integrating the most fundamental topics seen throughout The Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali. 

Guiding you on your path of discovery, linking the Kaivalya Pada with prior works of Patanjali’s books 1, 2, and 3. Monthly weekend intensives will place particular focus on the practical integration of the philosophical discoveries of the previous weeks with your personal practice and yoga sadhana as a whole.