Given how important Patanjali is to the yoga movement, there aren’t a lot of details about who this ancient sage actually was and when he churned out his work. It was probably some time around the second century BCE (before the common era) or the second century CE. It’s also not clear if there was just one author of the Yoga Sutras or if they resulted from a collective of great sages who spanned generations. I like the idea that they were developed over time by wise people who didn’t need the accolades.

The Yoga Sutras (or threads) are regarded as the bees’ knees of authoritative texts on yoga. They include 195 aphorisms (a concise statement that contains a general truth) or nuggets of wisdom, and they offer guidelines for living a meaningful and purposeful life.

Interestingly, they don’t focus just on yoga poses - asanas are mentioned three times, pranayama about ten times, and there’s a big focus on meditation (around 50-60).

Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga

Did you know that Ashtanga actually means the Eightfold Path? Ashta means eight and anga means limb. And here I was thinking Ashtanga Yoga was a challenging asana sequence! Well it is, but there’s more to it…

My favourite books (so far!) that provide helpful details about Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras include:

• The Yamas and Niyamas - Deborah Adele

• The Wisdom of Yoga: A Seeker’s Guide to Extraordinary Living - Stephen Cope

If you have any other suggestions let me know!