4. The point according to Patanjali.
You do not need to know who Patanjali was, but you do need to know what Yoga is. Hindu philosophy tells us there are six Darśana or ways of seeing the world, and one is Yoga. You can look at them as schools of philosophy. Patanjali's Yoga sutras are a condensation of this philosophy. To practice Yoga you do not need to know them but to study Yoga you do. I have many books but one in this area is my favourite: The Heart of Yoga, T.K.V. Desikachar, Inner Traditions; 2 edition (1 Mar. 1999) I met T.K.V. Desikachar in Colney Heath, of all places, a village just to the north of London many years ago. It was an amazing few hours sitting at the feet of a true teacher and an experience I will always cherish. Patanjali's Yoga sutra 1.2, lays out the definition and purpose of yoga. Yogas citta vrtti nirodha: Yoga is the cessation of the modifications, or fluctuations, of the mind*. The sutra gets right to the heart of why we practice yoga, it is first and foremost...
