Yoga, as Patanjali famously defines it, is the “restriction of the fluctuations of consciousness.” The practice begins by sitting and calming the fluctuations of the body, breath, and senses. Reasons you should know Patanjali’s yoga sutra
• To remind yourself of the true purpose of your practice: Yoga asana is a great way to increase your strength and flexibility, release stress, and improve your health. Yoga tells us which mental states are not the state of yoga, as well as why we suffer, and what we can do about it.
• To understand your barriers to happiness: Patanjali’s teachings help us to understand how our thoughts get in the way of our own happiness. They also show that the process of “disidentification” with our thoughts, aided by yoga practice, is the path to ending suffering.
• To connect with the linage of yoga: We are all part of a proud linage of yoga. Every yoga student receives the teachings from a teacher, and it’s important to remember and honor the fact that the practice was given to us.
• To build a lifelong practice: When we limit our understanding of yoga to asana, we limit its ability to help people. As we age, we may not be able to perform the intense physical practice. But by incorporating asana, plus other yoga teachings, including meditation, pranayama we cultivate a deeper and more inclusive relationship with yoga that can transform all aspects of our lives.
• To being to live your yoga: Patanjali provides us with guidelines for living a yogic life, including standards of ethics and self-conduct, so that we can know what it feels like to live and act in harmony and integrity with our highest values, even when we face difficulty. This may be the greatest gift to all.
