Yoga is one of India's six philosophies (darshans) and has been practiced for thousands of years. The path of Yoga was first documented by Sage Patanjali around 200 BC in the Yoga Sutras. The Yoga sutras embody 195 aphorisms (definition), which describe the mind's inner workings and lays out the eight steps that give us the tools for controlling its fluctuations and restlessness.
Invocation to Patanjali
yogena cittasya padena vacam
(yo-gay-nuh chih-tah-syuh pah-day-nuh vah-chahm)
malam sarirasya ca vaidyakena
(mah-lahm shah-ree-rah-syuh chuh vy-dyuh-kay-nuh)
yopakarottam pravaram muninam
(yo-pah kar-oh-tahm prah-vah-rahm moo-nee-nahm)
patanjalim pranjaliranato'smi
(pah-than-jah-lim prahn-jah-leer ah-nah-to-smee)
abahu purusakaram
(ah-bah-hoo-poo-roo-shah-kar-ahm)
sankha cakrasi dharinam
(shahn-kah chah-krah-see dar-ee-nahm)
sahasra sirasam svetam
(sah-hah-srah sheer-ah-sahm shvay-tahm)
pranamami patanjalim
(prah-nuh-mah-mee pah-tahn-jah-lim)
Let us bow before the noblest of sages, Patanjali, who gave yoga for serenity and sanctity of mind, grammar for clarity and purity of speech, and medicine for perfection of health.
Let us prostrate before Patanjali, an incarnation of Adisesa, whose upper body has a human form, whose arms hold a conch and disc, and who is crowned by a thousand-headed cobra.
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