Yoga Darshana: Patanjali's Philosophy

When you hear "yoga," you probably think of stretching on a mat. And sure, that is part of it. But Patanjali — the sage who wrote the Yoga Sutras around 200 BCE — had something much bigger in mind. His yoga is a complete philosophical system for understanding the mind, controlling it, and ultimately transcending it. The physical postures (asana) are just one of eight limbs. The real goal? Kaivalya — a state of absolute freedom where your consciousness rests in its own pure nature.

Chitta Vritti Nirodha — Yoga in Four Words

The Eight Limbs (Ashtanga)

The Five Kleshas — Why We Suffer

Yoga and Samkhya — Philosophical Cousins