Yoga Sutras by Patanjali - Science of Yoga - Taimni

I'm working my way through this translation & commentary. It's very fascinating. I came prepared for the language by years of theosophical study and some knowledge of Sanskrit. This makes the reading doable.

The style isn't the easiest, but the insights make it well worth it.

Among theosophists this book has a very high status - it's studied by all the lecturers.

If you're thinking of asanas and yoga mats when you hear the word 'yoga', you may be in for a rude surprise. The Yoga Sutras aren't really about yoga as a type of fitness. What is called yoga in the west should perhaps be called 'yoga gymnastics', because it is usually nothing more than a way to become more flexible and get a more balanced body.

Taimni's yoga has eight limbs, and none of them have to do with posture or gymnastics. Hatha Yoga, from which most yoga practice has evolved, is only one of the possible types of exercise that may be taken on. But the ultimate goal of yoga is, in Taimni's translation:

Yoga is the inhibition of the modifications of the mind.

In more modern words: yoga is about meditation and specifically that kind of meditation that stills the monkey mind.

1. Yama : Universal morality


2. Niyama : Personal observances


3. Asanas : Body postures (what we usually think of as 'yoga'


4. Pranayama : Breathing exercises, and control of prana


5. Pratyahara : Control of the senses


6. Dharana : Concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness


7. Dhyana : Devotion, Meditation on the Divine


8. Samadhi : Union with the Divine

These are ordered - and they start with yama and niyama: morality and restraints. In other words: do's and don't's.

The path of astanga yoga described in the Yoga Sutras starts with yama: things to avoid, or restrain yourself in.

• Ahimsa (Harmlessness)


• Satya (Truthfulness)


• Asteya (Non-stealing)


• Brahmacharya (Sense-control)
  This implies sexual abstinence for real yogis, and faithfulness to one's partner for ordinary people.


• Aparigraha (Neutralizing the desire to acquire and hoard wealth)

Most people don't like lists telling them what to do or not to do, but this one is quite reasonable, I think. Though of course perhaps not altogether popular in all quarters.

• Sauca - cleanliness


• Samtosa - being content, happiness


• Tapas - austerity, discipline


• Svadhyaya - the study of sacred texts and introspective self-study or self-analysis


• Isvarapranidhana - Living with an awareness of the Divine and Devotion to It.

This is the positive advice given to those who are already living according to the moral rules in the yamas.

Barefoot Books: Yoga with Your Kids

Looking for something fun and healthy to do with your kids? Check out the options for yoga for kids. Barefoot Books has books and card decks to help you get...

Beautiful Yoga Statues, Figurines and Sculpture

A yoga statue makes a great gift. The yoga figurines on this page usually show the kind of back bending asana that has come to symbolize yoga in the common mind....

Best Chair Yoga Books Yoga For Seniors 2011

Chair yoga books are perfect for the active senior or anybody else in your life who wants to stay fit but is maybe limited in mobility. Chair yoga books yoga...

Best Selling Yoga Books for Beginners

Can you learn yoga out of a book? Well, perhaps you can. Just be VERY careful to not force things. Have some fun and relax into the poses. Accept where you are.

Best Yoga Gifts 2011 - great presents for yogis

For your faithful yoga practitioner, or someone who wants to start, here are some great yoga gifts. From yoga gear to unique yoga interior design ideas, fro...

Fun Yoga Birthday Gifts for Kids, Christmas Presents

For children into yoga, having their own gear is paramount. They need their own yoga mat, as well as of course their own yoga clothes. But if they're really...

Holiday Yoga Gear: Cute Yoga Clothes For Christmas

Want to have some fun in the yoga classroom? Holiday yoga gear will certainly get your fellow yoga students talking. If you're the teacher, of course it will...

Integral Yoga: Sri Aurobindo's Teaching & Method of Practice

This is a fascinating book. I'm constantly finding things that are different or the same as Blavatsky's theosophy. Her teachings are my spiritual home base,...

OmGym Yoga Inversion Therapy

OmGym is an Inversion Yoga Sling that helps Yogis perform gravity free Yoga and enjoy complete benefits of full body strength and core workout.
It is the most...

Quiz: Yoga trivia and facts

So, how much do you know about Yoga? What IS yoga? Some of these questions may surprise you even if you've been practicing yoga for the last ten years. Do...

The Great Yoga Wall, for your yoga studio

Some Yoga poses require a great deal of balance and flexibility. Unfortunately not all of us have the levels of fitness these Yoga Asanas require.
The Great...

The Wisdom of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Ravi Ravindra

The yoga sutras are two thousand year old spiritual classic. In India every spiritual teacher of any note has written a commentary on it. Ravi Ravindra is the...

Unique Yoga Mat 2011

A unique yoga mat is just more fun during yoga class, don't you think? I've found you cute and beautiful yoga mats, but also more rough and wild ones - like...

Yog Anatomy by David Keil

Yog Anatomy is a set of 2 DVD's by David Keil - an international Yoga instructor known for his simplicity and emphasis on concepts and principles that lead...

Yoga - history and tradition from India

Information on hatha yoga and the other classic types of yoga. In Hinduism there are various types of yoga, but in the West Hatha Yoga has become most popular...

Yoga Apparel Books DVD's Equipment Training and More ...

Yoga or Yog is an ancient physical and mental disciplines that originated in India.
It has gained popularity in the West in the past few decades and spawned...

Yoga Decorations for Christmas

Yoga is practiced by millions of people all over the world. They belong to different faiths and celebrate all the festivals mankind does.
If you are a Yogi...

Yoga planners and Calendars

What we call yoga is really (usually) a variation of Hatha yoga: a physical practice. Some yoga teachers call it, with a bit of a sneer, yoga exercise. That is: as opposed to yoga as a spiritual practice that can help you reach enlightenment (Moksha, Nirvana, Kaivalya).
But don't let that stop you from enjoying it, or these yoga calendars.

Yoga Quiz, How well do you know Yoga Philosophy?

Yoga is a great way to keep the body and mind fit and alert. What started in India thousands of years ago is being practiced by people all over the world to...

Yoga t-shirts for men

If you're doing yoga and you're a man, you will want to go to class well dressed. After all, there's all those ladies there. Don't worry about us thinking ill...

Yoga Valentine's Day Spiritual Gifts

Not only is Yoga good for our body and mind, it also shares a deeper Spiritual resonance with Valentine's.
Yoga literally means "to unite" or "to become on...

Yogitoes Innovative Yoga Products

Literally speaking, Yogi means a person who practices Yoga. So Yogitoes = A Yogi's Toes.
Yogitoes is a company that designs innovative yoga products for...

Katinka Hesselink has been fascinated with religion for as long as she can remember. She started studying theosophy and the world religions in earnest when she was 19. She loves reading books about any and all the spiritual traditions, and reviews them online.

She even did a stint of university studying World Religion, specializing in Buddhism and Indian religions, but quit a few papers short of her bachelors degree.

She has gathered inspiring quotes and informative articles on Buddhism, Sufism, Mystic Christianity and of course theosophy on her website Katinka Hesselink Net. On her popular spiritual blog All Considering she shares her knowledge, experiences and thoughts on spiritual topics.