Old School Yoga

Traditionally, the Yoga Sutras are presented in their original order with:

1. Devanagari script and/or sanskrit words transliterated to roman letters,
2. Translations of individual words,
3. Translation of the sutra as a whole, and
4. Commentary or explanations of the text.

This is done to ensure the integrity of both the original text and the translation, but it is sometimes not particularly helpful to beginning students. In the interest of making the material more accessible to beginners, Old School Yoga has taken the liberty of dispensing with this convention or using it when it serves our purpose. The reader is encouraged to read the definitions of sanskit words when they are given, as they often contain different shades of meaning that are helpful to understanding.

The material has been organized by topic, meaning that the original order of the sutras has not always been followed. However, nothing has been added or left out. The meaning of the text has not been altered, only the order of presentation has been changed.

Finally, the commentary given here is intentionally sparse. Explanations are provided where necessary for correct understanding, but otherwise the sutras have been left to speak for themselves. It is my hope that readers will get a sense of just how rich and rewarding a study of the sutras can be and continue on to the more advanced studies.