Yoga Sutras of Patañjali

About the book

A work to return to, not to consume.

The Yoga Sutras are one hundred and ninety-five short aphorisms in four chapters that became the classical reference for yoga as a discipline of the mind. The second sutra sets out the whole project: yoga is the restraint of the fluctuations of the mind. From there, Patañjali explains what stirs the mind, how it is stilled through practice and non-attachment, which afflictions bind us and what the eight-limbed path is: restraints, observances, posture, breath, withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation and absorption. The third chapter describes the powers that may arise and warns that they are not the goal. The fourth speaks of final freedom, the isolation of the Self. This edition includes the transliterated Sanskrit, our own ChaTutor translation and notes based on Vyāsa's commentary.

**Safety notice.** The text mentions breath control (prāṇāyāma) and advanced meditative states as traditional practices. Here they are read as content, not instructions: practice breathing techniques only with a qualified teacher and consult a health professional if you have any health condition.