The 4 Virtues of the Yoga Sutras: How to Cultivate a Clear Mind and Serene Heart

How can we bring yoga philosophy and ethics into our daily lives and teaching? The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali offer timeless wisdom, including the four virtues that help us cultivate a clear mind and resilient heart.

In this discussion, we’ll explore:

  • A quick introduction to the Yoga Sutras
  • How each virtue can be practiced in everyday life
  • How to bring yoga philosophy into teaching
  • Journal and teaching prompts for self-reflection
  • How small, mindful actions build strength for bigger challenges
  • Using these virtues to cultivate clarity, resilience, and mindfulness

By embodying these qualities, we create space for conscious thoughts, words, and actions—both on and off the mat.

Watch the video or scroll down for transcript notes and journal prompts to add to your practice and teaching.

The Four Virtues of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Hello Folks, Heather Agnew here, senior yoga educator and yoga philosophy nerd, and today we are going to talk about the 4 Virtues.

The four virtues are one of the teachings of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, a foundational text in yoga philosophy and ethics.

We shared this discussion in our most recent group coaching session, but there was a tech glitch with the recording so I’m having to record again.

But I’m kind of happy about that because it’s given me some time to reflect on all the great questions and insights that you all shared in our discussion and clarify a few of the examples and ideas that I wanted to share.

Today we’ll explore the essence of the virtues, I’ll give a few quick examples how we might integrate these virtues into our yoga practice and everyday lives, and then we’ll have a longer discussion of how these might show up in our modern lives, and how we might share these teachings in our yoga classes.

I also have some journal prompts for you if you are wanting to journal or write about this concept for your own learning, or to bring some philosophy your classes.

So, let’s dig in!

The Yoga Sutras

If you have not yet begun a study of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, here is a quick primer:

This text was written about 1,500 to 2,000 years ago and includes 196 verses or threads which weave together to give us some guidance on yoga philosophy, ethics, and a progressive approach to the practice of yoga.

There are lots of translations, which I’ll talk about in a bit, but for the most part they all agree that the aim of yoga is to settle or quiet the mind, and in that quiet or silence, we discover our essential nature – the effortless being of the self.

The Yoga Sutras provide guidance on the settled mind, walking the path of yoga through practices like ethics, movement, breathwork, concentration, and meditation, the journey to self-realization and both the learning and obstacles that we may experience along the way.

Some key elements of the Sutras to explore include the 8 limbs of yoga, 5 types of thoughts, 9 obstacles to knowledge, 5 causes of suffering, and the 4 virtues which is what we’ll talk about today.

Now, you might wonder what an ancient book has to tell us about how to approach modern life – they weren’t written when we had 9-5 jobs and car payments and social media bombarding us every day.

On the surface the Sutras might not seem to address the pressing political and environmental and human rights issues of our time, but these teachings are written with a clarity of understanding of human nature and the nature of the mind and basic ethics that is timeless.

Because these 196 sutras are very short and succinct, you’ll find that there are many different interpretations and different ways of thinking about and applying the teachings. We’ll interpret the sutras differently at different times in our lives or when facing different challenges or experiences.

So, if we spend a little time with the sutras, if we dig a little deeper within each thread, we can find some guidance for our modern, human, messy lives or at least get curious about a yogic approach to consciousness, meditation, and our responsibility to our communities and our planet in living a life of compassionate action.

The Four Virtues

Today, we’re picking out just one sutra, just one thread to explore, the four virtues.

You can find this in chapter 1, sutra 33 of the Yoga Sutras:

“The mind becomes clear and serene when the qualities of the heart are cultivated:

1. Maitri: Friendliness toward the joyful
2. Karuna: Compassion toward the suffering
3. Mudita: Happiness towards the virtuous
4. Upeksha: Impartiality towards the non-virtuous”

Let’s take a moment just to explore the pronunciation and the essence of each of the virtues, and look at a quick example, practice, and strategy for each of the virtues.

1. Maitri – Friendliness

Maitri, friendliness towards the joyful.

Sanskrit Pronunciation: MAY-tree

English: Friendliness, unconditional friendship, loving-kindness

Essence: Extending unconditional friendliness towards others in their joyfulness.

• Example: A coworker receives a promotion or recognition for their work, and you genuinely congratulate them instead of feeling envious.

• Practice: When someone shares their joy with you, listen with full attention and share their happiness without comparison or judgment.

• Strategy: Keep a gratitude journal and include moments when you felt joy for someone else’s happiness. It trains the mind to celebrate others’ happiness.

2. Karuna – Compassion

Karuna, compassion towards those who are suffering.

Sanskrit Pronunciation: Ka-ru-NA

English: Compassion

Essence: The desire for all beings to be free from suffering, and the practice of extending compassionate thoughts and actions for those who are suffering.

• Example: You notice someone struggling with their health or facing a difficult time, and instead of offering unsolicited advice, you extend kindness by simply being present or offering support.

• Practice: Volunteer for a cause that helps people in need, such as a food bank, shelter, or crisis hotline.

• Strategy: Practice active listening when someone shares their struggles. Avoid judgment or trying to “fix” things and instead focus on empathetic understanding.

3. Mudita – Joyfulness

Mudita, joyfulness towards the virtuous.

Sanskrit Pronunciation: Moo-dita

English: Joyfulness, happiness, empathetic joy

Essence: the delight in the cheerful good works of others. To find happiness in others’ living a good and ethical life.

• Example: A friend consistently acts with integrity and kindness, and you feel genuinely inspired and joyful rather than intimidated or comparing yourself.

• Practice: Take time to acknowledge and appreciate role models or people in your life who demonstrate virtuous qualities.

• Strategy: Write a thank-you note or share a social media post celebrating someone whose actions have positively impacted you or others.

4. Upeksha – Equanimity

Upeksha, indifference towards the less-than-virtuous.

Sanskrit Pronunciation: Oo-Pay-k-shA

English: equanimity, impartiality, imperturbability

Practice: practicing impartiality towards those who are not behaving in an ethical or kind way.

• Example: When you encounter someone being rude, instead of reacting with anger or judgment, you remind yourself that their behavior might stem from their own pain or unawareness, and you respond calmly without letting it disturb your peace.

• Practice: Create healthy boundaries while maintaining a neutral, non-reactive attitude toward negative behavior.

• Strategy: When dealing with difficult people or situations, practice mindfulness and try to remain present and observant of your thoughts and emotions.

These virtues are practical tools for cultivating equanimity, resilience, and a sense of connection in daily life.

As I said, these are open to interpretation, and how you practice these virtues might change as you move through your life, but it’s useful to return to the original sutra to remember that the aim of these virtues is to cultivate the qualities of the heart in order to make our minds clear and serene.

A Personal Reflection on Small Actions

Before we dive into further examples of the four virtues I want to share a personal reflection. Lately, I’ve been struggling to find a cohesive narrative with yoga philosophy.

I think about the small, mindful actions I can take, but how do they connect to the bigger picture? We often reflect on the behavior of others, but it’s easy to overlook our own – or the thoughts that eventually lead to our actions.

At times, I do question the relevance of spending so much energy thinking about yoga philosophy and ethics when there’s so much chaos and suffering in the world. Real harms are happening to real people, right now, every day. But I’m trying to work with the idea that, in this context, I need to focus on what I can control.

For me, that means working on my small things – how I treat others and the planet, how I care for myself and my loved ones, and how I continue to learn and try to live a life of integrity and compassion. These small acts aren’t insignificant; they’re the building blocks, the foundation. They strengthen us to take on the bigger challenges with, hopefully, greater clarity and resilience.

I think that, when it comes to ethics, small things are never just small things. They are the training ground. They teach us to act with awareness and intention, building the capacity we need to address the larger issues in the world.

Take Upeksha, equanimity, for example. For me, it’s not about never feeling anger – cause I do! – it’s about not staying stuck in anger. It’s about being able to observe it, move through it, and to find relief, peace, and even joy again. That resilience allows us to face challenges without losing touch with the full range of life’s experiences, or losing touch with the goal, a life of peace for everyone.

So, as we explore the four virtues together, I encourage you to view them from different perspectives. Think about how they might apply in your own life and how they relate – or don’t relate – to the complexities of your modern life.

So, let’s dive into some examples as we look at these virtues within the context of our hectic, complicated modern lives.

How to Practice the Four Virtues in Daily Life

Friendliness toward the joyful

When we can be genuinely happy for others, we create a space for ourselves to be joyful in our own life. By celebrating others’ happiness or accomplishments, we reinforce the belief that success and happiness are not limited resources but something we can all share and experience.

However, in today’s world—especially on social media—this virtue can be challenging to practice. Instead of simply applauding someone else’s success, we might, perhaps through insecurity or jealousy, find ourselves emulating or copying what someone else is doing. This can lead us to act in ways that are inauthentic.

For instance, have you ever noticed a content creator whose posts begin to shift away from their original style or message? Perhaps they’ve been influenced by trends, likes, or followers, veering away from their true mission. This pattern is common, and while it might appear like a smart strategy for growth, it can result in losing touch with who we really are.

As yoga teachers or practitioners, it’s easy to see someone else’s success and feel the urge to emulate their path. But at what point does “adjusting” to achieve success lead us away from our true selves? A powerful practice is learning to admire someone else’s success without jealousy, without finding fault in them, and without trying to emulate them in ways that compromise our authenticity. When we let jealousy or imitation guide us, we risk losing ourselves.

For yoga teachers, this might look like parroting the ideas, cues, or beliefs of a teacher we admire. While it’s natural to be inspired by others, over time, this can lead us to teach their classes instead of our own. And when that happens, the world misses out on what makes us unique. I’ve personally experienced this—repeating what my teachers said because I was inspired by them, only to later realize that I didn’t fully believe in those ideas. In some cases, I even found that what I was saying contradicted my own values or felt harmful.

Practicing Maitri reminds us to celebrate others while staying true to ourselves. By rooting ourselves in authenticity, we ensure that our success and happiness come from a place of genuine alignment with who we are, not from imitating others.

Consider:

Take a moment to reflect: how can we shift our perspective to celebrate others without comparison or imitation? And how can we align ourselves with our own unique path while staying inspired by those around us?

Compassion for those who are suffering

Practicing compassion often requires us to confront and overcome our own biases. In my world here in North America, which is heavily influenced by puritanical values, people who are perceived as “lazy” or “not productive enough” are frequently denied kindness and empathy. This mindset, often rooted in ableism and the “just world fallacy”—the belief that people’s suffering must be a result of their own moral failings—can prevent us from extending true compassion.

Compassion challenges us to see beyond these judgments and to recognize the humanity in everyone, regardless of their circumstances. For example, when we encounter someone struggling with physical or mental health challenges, instead of rushing to assign blame or assume they could “fix” their situation if they tried harder, we could pause and choose to offer understanding and support. This might mean listening without judgment, offering practical help, or simply acknowledging their pain.

In our yoga teaching, this principle reminds us to create inclusive spaces that honor the diversity of human experience. It’s an opportunity to adapt our teaching to meet students where they are, whether they are dealing with physical limitations, emotional struggles, or societal pressures. By practicing this virtue we become more attuned to the lives and the needs of others and deepen our connection to the collective human experience.

Consider:

How can we challenge our own biases and cultivate genuine compassion in our daily lives? How can we create environments where everyone feels seen and supported, especially those who are struggling?

Happiness towards the virtuous

The example of Mudita I was thinking about relates to how we express our happiness or pleasure when someone has got it right – like in teaching, coaching, parenting, or the example I was thinking of was training a dog.

Often, it’s our first impulse or unconscious or learned urge to punish bad behavior, like when you are puppy training. But I think back to our first puppy class with our dog Bob, and they explained that the science overwhelming supports the opposite approach, that rewarding good behavior is a far more successful (and ethical) strategy. Positive reinforcement training has been seen to make dogs more confident, relaxed, and it helps to build a stronger relationship and bond between you and your dog.

Consider:

Think about how this type of positive reinforcement might also benefit our relationships with others, our teaching or coaching, and even our relationship with ourselves?

How does this feel for you in relation both to this virtue, and to that overriding aim of the virtues to overcome our unconscious urges and cultivate the qualities of the heart?

Equanimity towards those who are non-virtuous

Now let’s consider Upeksha: equanimity toward those who are non-virtuous.

Equanimity invites us to remain steady and balanced, even when we are disturbed by the actions of others. Imagine a situation where someone cuts you off in traffic. Your immediate reaction might be anger or frustration, which can alter your state of mind and even your perception of that other person.

What causes this reaction? Often, it’s rooted in fear, frustration, or assumptions we impose on the other person: “They don’t care about me,” “They think they’re more important,” or “They’re a terrible driver.” But what if we paused and considered other possibilities? Perhaps they almost missed their turn or didn’t see you. Shifting our perspective can help us respond with equanimity rather than letting a fleeting moment disrupt our peace.

Unless immediate action is required—for example, if someone is driving dangerously or appears to be in a health crisis—can you let the incident slide? If not, ask yourself why. Are you reacting out of fear or frustration, letting that moment connect to larger narratives about how the world is becoming ruder or more chaotic? Suddenly, that one driver represents everything wrong with the modern world, and your reaction becomes disproportionate to the event.

Practicing equanimity in these moments can bring greater peace and happiness. It allows us to separate isolated incidents from broader judgments, preventing small frustrations from spiraling into larger emotional burdens.

But what about more significant situations—when people, groups, or institutions act with a lack of integrity or cause harm? This isn’t about someone being rude or cutting you off in traffic. It’s about real harm to people, animals, or the planet. Do we let that slide? Practicing equanimity here doesn’t mean ignoring injustice. Instead, it’s about finding balance. Resistance and action are important, but so are rest, joy, and hope. Carrying the weight of the world’s problems 24/7 can lead to burnout and despair.

Equanimity reminds us not to lose sight of what we’re fighting for. It teaches us to resist harm and oppression while holding onto our humanity and hope. By staying grounded, we can remain effective in our efforts to create change without letting anger or exhaustion overwhelm us.

Consider:

How can we respond to daily frustrations with greater equanimity? And how can we balance our commitment to justice with the need for rest and renewal, ensuring we don’t lose ourselves in the process

Okay, you’ve heard some examples and I hope that they have given you some ideas on where you might begin your own inquiries, but I’ll share a few quick prompts for you that you might bring to your own learning:

Journal Prompts on the Four Virtues

Sharing Ideas:

  1. How might you explain the concept of these virtues to someone new to yoga philosophy?
  2. What practices or habits could you develop to embody these virtues more consciously in your everyday interactions?
  3. How do you see these virtues aligning with modern challenges, such as dealing with social media or divisive conversations?

Teaching Prompts:

  1. Imagine you are teaching a yoga class—how could you incorporate one or more of these virtues into your sequencing, theming, or closing remarks?
  2. How might you use storytelling, personal experience, or examples to illustrate the practice of one virtue in your teaching?
  3. Sketch out a plan for how you would present the virtues in a workshop, including activities, reflections, or practices to help others understand them.

Finding a Yoga Sutras Translation or Text

If you do not yet have a copy of the Sutras, there are lots of translations out there. Do a quick Google search, you’ll find there’s tons of different translations and versions out there.

I think it’s worth exploring a few different translations over your lifetime to compare and contrast different perspectives. Every translator adds their own ideas and insights and offers some different perspective. And there’s lots of options for your learning depending on your learning style, including books, audiobooks, free downloadable PDFs, and of course these days there’s definitely going to be some podcasts out there, and YouTube discussion videos, like this one!

If you want a good text to start with, my favorite is the translation by Alistair Shearer, which I find to be simple and uncomplicated and a great beginning to the study of yoga philosophy.

In Closing

As I said, my own relationship with these virtues has been complicated lately.

Given everything happening in the world, I’ve found it challenging to reconcile these ideals at times. But preparing for this discussion has been incredibly helpful. It’s given me a chance to clarify my own thoughts and hear from others about their interpretations, which has deepened my understanding.

I hope that this discussion has encouraged you to think about the 4 virtues, get curious, ask questions.

One of the most common questions I get from students is ‘what is right’. And I don’t know. What I’ll say to that is that we are not helped by black and white thinking, by thinking that we have to get this ethics thing perfect. The idea is to build the capacity for conscious thoughts, words, and actions. And yoga helps to build that capacity. So, perhaps we are better served by letting go of the idea that you have to get this right, and allow yourself to be a beginner, learn through experience and curiosity.

As I said, these are open to interpretation, might change as you move through your life, but it’s useful to return to the original sutra to remember that the aim of these 4 virtues is to cultivate the qualities of the heart in order to make our minds clear and serene.

More Philosophy & Ethics

Find more discussions on the blog or find video discussions on yoga philosophy, teaching, and practice on our YouTube channel

Want to learn more about Yoga Philosophy?  Check out our 25-hour Yoga Philosophy Life Skills and Professional Development courses.

Want to learn more about sharing yoga philosophy in your yoga classes?  Check out the 15-hour Sequencing & Theming for Yoga course here

Leave a Reply