Yoga philosophy: texts, ideas and lineage
Yoga is older and wider than the poses most of us start with. This page is a reading path through the philosophy on YogaMag: summaries of classical texts such as the Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika; verses arranged by source; the eight limbs and a few core ideas; and the history of how modern styles came about. Begin with a text or a single idea, read slowly, and treat our summaries as a doorway to the originals and to a teacher, not a replacement for them.
Classical texts, summarised
Plain-language summaries of texts the tradition returns to. Read the summary first, then the translation it points to.
- The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Satchidananda: summary
- The Bhagavad Gita, Eknath Easwaran: summary
- Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Muktibodhananda: summary
- Gheranda Samhita, Niranjanananda Saraswati: summary
- Shiva Samhita: summary
- Laghu Yoga Vasishtha, Aiyer (translator): summary
- The Science of Yoga, I. K. Taimni (a commentary on the Yoga Sutras): summary
- 20 books on yoga and spirituality for beginners
- All book summaries
Verses by source
Short passages grouped by the text they come from. Most are translations or paraphrases, so check the wording against a published edition before quoting. Bhartrihari was a Sanskrit poet (usually treated as a different person from the grammarian of the same name), not a yoga text; the Vigyan Bhairava and Kularnava are tantric texts.
Core ideas
The eight limbs (ashtanga, set out in Yoga Sutras 2.29) and a few terms that come up again and again, each explained simply. Mudras and bandhas are practices, not core philosophy, and breath and bandha practices are best learned from a qualified teacher. The loving-kindness page covers a Buddhist metta practice, which is related to but distinct from yoga's maitri.
History and lineage
Where modern yoga came from, and some of the people and books along the way.
Traditions and styles
How different schools put the philosophy into practice.
Questions
Where should I start with yoga philosophy?
Many people start with the eight limbs, which come from the Yoga Sutras, then read the Sutras themselves. Our summaries are written to help you decide which text to read in full.
Are your summaries a substitute for the texts?
No. They are short guides. Translations vary, and a teacher can help with context that a summary cannot give.
What is the difference between the Yoga Sutras and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika?
The Yoga Sutras, attributed to Patanjali, are a short classical text on the mind and its stillness. Scholars date them differently, from roughly the 2nd century BCE to the 4th or 5th century CE. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, by Svatmarama, is a much later manual (usually dated to the 15th century) that focuses on postures, breath and cleansing practices.
Do I need to be religious to read these?
No. The texts come from Indian traditions and have religious and philosophical layers, and readers come to them in many ways. Read what is useful and set the rest aside.
This page is for education about traditional texts. Where a text describes breath practices or cleansing techniques, treat it as history, not instruction, and learn such practices from a qualified teacher. Nothing here is medical advice.