Yoga Sutras (of Patanjali)
Yoga Sūtra
योग सूत्र
They define Yoga as "the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind" (Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ) and chart the path to liberation.
The Yoga Sūtras are a collection of 196 concise aphorisms (sūtra means "thread") compiled by the sage Patañjali, systematizing the philosophy and practice of Yoga. They define Yoga as "the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind" (Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ) and chart the path to liberation.
Considered the foundational text of classical (Rāja) Yoga, the Sūtras lay out the eight limbs (Aṣṭāṅga) — from ethical restraints to meditative absorption — as a complete map of the inner journey. Their terse threads have been unfolded by commentators for centuries and remain the philosophical backbone of modern Yoga. — Patañjali, Yoga Sūtras.
Individual sūtras are studied (Svādhyāya), chanted, and contemplated to illuminate the aim and method of practice. Instructors quote key sūtras — on the stilling of the mind, on steady and comfortable posture (Sthira Sukham) — to root physical practice in philosophy. They serve as a lifelong reference for the deeper dimensions of Yoga.
Present the Sūtras as a living map, not a rigid doctrine — an invitation to inquiry rather than a set of rules. Introduce them gradually, one thread at a time, connecting each to lived experience on the mat.