The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: The Book of the Spiritual Man, Paperback

This ancient text represents one of yoga's most influential and important works. Dating back to India of the second century B.C., the yoga sutras constitute a complete manual for the study and practice of the philosophical system. The sutras, or threads, are aphorisms of wisdom that offer guidelines to living a meaningful and purposeful life. This volume explains the eight limbs of the discipline: restraint, observances, posture, breath control, withdrawal from the senses, attention, meditation, and stillness.
Little is known about the life of Patanjali beyond the assumption that he was a contemporary of the Buddha. Charles Johnston, an immensely learned scholar of Eastern traditions, offers modern readers a straightforward translation of Patanjali's writings. This easy-to-follow interpretation will prove a rewarding companion to yoga students, participants in teacher-training programs, and students of Eastern philosophy.

Irish author Charles Johnston (1867-1931) was a scholar of Oriental studies and a classmate of William Butler Yeats, with whom he co-founded Dublin's Theosophical Lodge in 1886. He studied Sanskrit, Russian, and German and translated many works, devoting himself mainly to philosophical and theosophical texts.