Review by Booklist Review
B. K. S. Iyengar has been a practitioner and teacher of yoga for decades and is credited with introducing yoga to the West. His Light on Yoga (1979) is the definitive yoga text and has helped make the Iyengar name synonymous with yoga that is disciplined, specific, and intense. With the publication of this superb translation of the sage Patanjali's sutras, or aphorisms, Iyengar continues to illuminate the teachings of yoga for English-speaking readers. The legendary Patanjali may have lived in India sometime between 500 and 200 B.C. The 196 sutras he is believed to have composed provide guidance for the practice of yoga at all levels, from the physical postures, or asanas, to control of the breath, and ever-increasing mastery of mental and spiritual powers. Iyengar defines yoga as an art, science, and philosophy aimed at achieving a union of the body, mind, and spirit, and explains how the Patanjali sutras relate to its study. Each sutra is then presented in Sanskrit, followed by a fluid and graceful translation. Iyengar's interpretative commentary fleshes out the meaning and implication of each sutra, both within a traditional Hindu context and in relation to Western practice. ~--Donna Seaman
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
