In 195 sutras, or little verses, the sage Patanjali describes how the mind works, and indicates different ways of understanding yoga and integrating it into our lives.

This is the standard work of yoga. It dates from around 200 BC.

The 195 sutras are organized into padas, or chapters, as follows:

Samadhi Pada defines yoga, the practice, the problems we may encounter and their solutions,
Sadhana Pada explains how to develop attention, as opposed to the distracted state in which we live,
Vibhuti Pada guides us towards the combined practice of concentration and contemplation to reach a state of unity and develop ever-deeper attention.
Kaivalya Pada, the final chapter, reveals the goal of yoga: to master the mind, develop clear perception and free ourselves from all attachment.
Some key phrases from the Yoga Sutras:
Sthira sukham asana: Yoga postures are both stable and comfortable.
Yoga shchitta vritti nirodhah : Yoga is the cessation of automatic mental activity.
Tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam: Then our center is revealed, established within itself.
Abhyasa-vaïragyabhyam tan nirodhah : The cessation of automatic thoughts is achieved through intense practice in a spirit of letting go.

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