This class turns to Patañjali’s direct path of quieting the mind through īśvara-praṇidhāna—devotion/surrender to the indwelling Lord (I.23). David clarifies what Patañjali means by Īśvara: untouched by afflictions, karma, and their results (I.24), the teacher of the ancients (I.26), whose symbol is Oṁ (I.27). Practice becomes concrete through japa (repetition of Oṁ) and bhāvanā (dwelling on its meaning) (I.28), integrating with abhyāsa–vairāgya rather than replacing them. We apply this to the mat and daily life: how surrender coexists with disciplined effort; how to use breath as mantra, alignments as offerings, and short Oṁ practices to stabilize attention; and how to avoid pitfalls like blind belief or spiritual bypassing. The aim is a steady, grace-supported mind—absorbed, inward-turning, and capable of seeing clearly.