Demystifying Patanjali

         For my second book, I choose to read Demystifying Patanjali, The Yoga Sutras (Aphorisms), which is the wisdom of Paramhansa Yogananda and is presented by his direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda. Through reading this book, I have managed to develop a deeper understanding on the ancient spiritual Hindu practice of Yoga. It presents the ancient teachings of Patanjali, and brings them into the modern world, for anyone to learn and understand the yoga sutras.

        The first thing that I learned is that what we think yoga is in our society, is not at all what yoga is. Yoga is not merely the practicing of poses for physical and mental benefits, but it is one of three ancient Hindu philosophical teachings that developed hundreds of years ago in India. There are three basic philosophical systems of ancient India: shankhya, offering the whys of spiritual search, yoga the hows and vedanta the what. Yes, yoga was also a physical practice, but in the eyes of Patanjali, it was also a philosophy. Because the teachings of Patanjali are ancient (about 2,200 years old), no one knows quite who Patanjali is, or if it is even a single person, but, perhaps, a group of ancient Hindu scholars.

       I have always known that Hinduism and Buddhism have always placed an importance on the self, but through reading this, I was able to see how their philosophy allows them to place a higher importance on the self, with the ultimate goal reaching and connecting with our inner selves. Through the yoga teachings of Patanjali, Hindus are able to guide themselves toward that goal of self-realization, to seek truth, and a union with the divine.