Christopher Wallis, known globally as Hareesh, is a world-renowned scholar-practitioner with over thirty years experience. Initiated into the practice of yogic meditation at sixteen his studies have earned him a B.A. in Religion and Classics from the University of Rochester, an M.A. in Sanskrit from U.C. Berkeley, an M.Phil. in Classical Indian Religions from Oxford University, and a Ph.D. in Sanskrit from U.C. Berkeley.

Additionally, he received traditional education at yoga āshrams in India upstate New York training in meditation, mantra-science, kīrtan, karma-yoga, and pedagogy.

He is the author of, Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition and The Recognition Sutras: Illuminating a 1,000-year-old Spiritual Masterpiece.”

There are very few teachers in this field that combine academic rigor (including the ability to read Sanskrit fluently), passionate love for the subject, and the ability to articulate with crystal clarity, and Hareesh is one of them. The feature of his teaching that students consistently highlight is this balance of passion, clarity, and rigor. The goal of his teaching is to ensure that each sutra successfully lands in the heart & mind of the student, illuminating both their understanding and their experience.

Christopher Wallis is a gifted scholar. This course skillfully unpacks one of the key texts of yogic wisdom, and does so with thoroughness, insight and depth.

I recommend this series to anyone who seeks a deeper understanding of the Yoga Sutra—not only of the meaning of the verses, but of how to apply them to your own practice and your own life.

~ Sally Kempton, Author of Awakening Shakti

With this new work, Wallis is offering Oxford-quality Sanskrit education in sutra-sized chunks made for walking.

Each 10-minute unpacking strikes a bargain between the personableness of oral tradition and the constraints of the ADHD age.

His ear for poetry and paradox means that he doesn't sacrifice accuracy for inspiration. Somehow he renders the bitter ascetic verses precisely, but sweetened with the Tantric mood of his personal path.

~ Matthew Remski - Author

“Ever wanted to deepen your knowledge of the Yoga Sutras but been put off by their complexity or overwhelmed by the number of translations? Well, no more. Dive into a real, living, digestible course that can illuminate these beautiful teachings. Unearth this wisdom through the prism of a Sanskrit scholar and long time practitioner whose passion for correct and true translations conveys both the obvious teachings and the more subtle and potent offerings.”

Janet Stone - Global Yoga Teacher

“You know how we are told to read/study 10 translations of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra...and then we might start to grasp them? Also, you know how just a few hours with Christopher Wallis changes your life? This course is like that. My mind was blown and expanded by my teachers’ explanation of the first 4 sutra alone, even though I had read 5 translations and attended workshops with people who had read their 10 translations & could chant them all too.

— - Current student with The Sutra Project

“I also wanted to say a huge thank you for the Yoga Sutras course, it is exactly the kind of course I have been wanting and you have done such a fabulous job with it. I really appreciate the extra videos/audios regarding methodology/source material/ your translation techniques/ and yoga history.

— PF- Current student with The Sutra Project

“Prior to my 200hr TT, I knew “tid-bits” of the YS & later when I actually went through my 200hr TT, the (lack of) clear explanation and discussions of the text left me feeling somewhat...bewildered, comfortable with “the gist” of it and yet profoundly intrigued and thirsting for an in-depth understanding. I did search for other sources but hadn’t quite found any that felt well rounded and truly cohesive. In this course, Christopher translates and expounds on each of the sutras in an incredibly straightforward, succinct and intelligible way. I am really loving this course.

— Current student with The Sutra Project

“I just completed my 300hr yoga teacher training and I did an on-line course with Christopher Wallis on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali that was so much more accessible and alive than what we covered in my teacher training. I would HIGHLY recommend it

— ES - Current student with The Sutra Project

“I just finished the Yoga Sutra Illuminated Course. I must say you have done a fantastic job! Very articulate, accurate, and concise. It helped me in my sadhana. Loved it.

— DH - Current student with The Sutra Project

“What a beautiful offering you have created to present to an expanded community in the form of the Sutra Project!

The web platform, design, navigation and content are intuitive and beautifully potent. I have found it easeful to jump into your flowing invitation like a gentle stream. I appreciate the design of the course to allow me to swim to a shore and rest in contemplation of it all, or to forge ahead in the pull of the current.

— AB - Current student with The Sutra Project

If you would like to understand more about your fundamental nature then this course will be most helpful - more serenity and peace for you is the most likely result.

— PER ~ Current student with The Sutra Project

“I wish to express my gratitude for your guidance on this amazing journey. I simply love the way this is broken down and find myself returning over and over again to view these recordings multiples times…each time getting something more for contemplation.

— P.G ~ Current student with The Sutra Project

“An incredible experience. Clear, precise and just in time for me. Recommended to all who are interested in the subjuect, especially yoga practitioners. “Beginners Mind” is not just a concept :) Thank you for all this wonderful offering.

— P.F ~ Current Student with The Sutra Project