After the publication of Yatharth Geeta, which is a commentary on "Srimad Bhagavad Gita", the devotees requested the revered Swami Ji to throw light on Patanjali's Yog Darshan too because yog is related with self - realisation. It cannot be perceived on material grounds. The revered Maharaj Shree is a Mahapurush who has passed through all the stages of Yog. The present work is the collection of what Maharaj Shree delivered in his preaching. Patañjali divided his Yoga Sutras into four chapters or books (Sanskrit pada), containing in all 196 aphorisms, divided as follows: Samadhi Pada (51 sutras). Samadhi refers to a blissful state where the yogi is absorbed into the One. Samadhi is the main technique the yogin learns by which to dive into the depths of the mind to achieve Kaivalya. The author describes yoga and then the nature and the means to attaining samādhi. This chapter contains the famous definitional verse: "Yogaś citta-vritti-nirodhaḥ" ("Yoga is the restraint of mental modifications").] Sadhana Pada (55 sutras). Sadhana is the Sanskrit word for "practice" or "discipline". Here the author outlines two forms of Yoga: Kriya Yoga (Action Yoga) and Ashtanga Yoga (Eightfold or Eightlimbed Yoga). Kriya Yoga is closely related to Karma Yoga, which is also expounded in Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita, where Arjuna is encouraged by Krishna to act without attachment to the results or fruit of action and activity. It is the yoga of selfless action and service. Aṣṭāṅga Yoga describes the eight limbs that together constitute Rāja Yoga. Vibhuti Pada (56 sutras). Vibhuti is the Sanskrit word for "power" or "manifestation". 'Supra-normal powers' (Sanskrit: siddhi) are acquired by the practice of yoga. Combined simultaneous practice of Dhāraṇā, Dhyana and Samādhi is referred to as Samyama, and is considered a tool of achieving various perfections, or Siddhis. The temptation of these powers should be avoided and the attention should be fixed only on liberation. The purpose of using samadhi is not to gain siddhis but to achieve Kaivalya. Siddhis are but distractions from Kaivalaya and are to be discouraged. Siddhis are but maya, or illusion. Kaivalya Pada (34 sutras). Kaivalya literally means "isolation", but as used in the Sutras stands for emancipation or liberation and is used interchangeably with moksha (liberation), which is the goal of yoga. The Kaivalya Pada describes the process of liberation and the reality of the transcendental ego. By going through this commentary one can understand what Yog is but the real perception of Yog is possible only after practical pursuit of Yogic - Sadhana. With Tap, Swadhyaya, Ishwar - Pranidhan and chanting of Om, the real Sadhana starts. By their practice, the Avidhya and Kleshas got removed and the self starts transmitting beneficial vistas. In their light alone the Yogic - maxims written by Maharishi Patanjali can be truly comprehended. Yog is direct perception, no oral or written words can explain it. Practical pursuits alone can make the comprehension of Yog - Darshan possible.

Meditation exercises for listening to the four levels of sound, to still the body, quiet the mind, open the heart, and connect with the Divine • Details the teachings on nada yoga from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika with clear, step-by-step instructions to find and hear the inner sacred sound of nada • Explains the 4 levels of sound through a series of practical meditation exercises • Includes instructions for a daily nada yoga meditation practice as well as ways to strengthen your advanced practice The ancient practice of nada yoga is not complex. It is the yoga of listening. It is a journey from the noise of the external world inward to a place of peace and bliss, to the source of the transformational power of sound--the nada. By meditating on the inner sacred sound of the nada, we can release ourselves from mind chatter and obsessive thinking. We can still the body, quiet the mind, and open the heart to create a state of mind where joy naturally arises. Sharing his experiential understanding of the classic Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Baird Hersey offers precise, step-by-step instructions on how to find the inner sound of the nada. He explains the first three levels of sound--first, how to truly hear the ordinary sounds of the world around us (vaikhari); second, how to quiet the sounds of the mind (madhyama), such as sound memories and internal dialogue; and third, how to access visual sounds (pashyanti), tapping in to our ability to see sounds and hear colors. Mastering the first three levels prepares one for the fourth level of sound (para), the heart of the practice that connects one to the inner sound of the nada. The author provides detailed exercises to guide you through each level of sound and instructions for a daily nada yoga meditation practice. Hersey explains that by focusing our minds on this internal sound we reunite our essential self with the eternal and infinite. In this re-union we find bliss in both body and mind, an uplifted spirit, and heightened states of consciousness.

The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali are universally acknowledged as the fundamental text on yoga and meditation in the Indian classical tradition. This English translation of Yoga Philosophy of Patañjali is widely regarded as the most authoritative and authentic that has been available in recent times. It is a serious and clear presentation of Patañjali's sutras and Vyāsa's Bhāsya, providing these basic texts both in the original Sanskrit and in readable and accurate English. These classical works are augmented by the commentary of Swami Hariharananda Aranya, a scholar and yogi of great repute, who, in his lifetime, was the foremost exponent in India of the Sāṃkhya Yoga system of which the Yoga Aphorisms of Patañjali are the principal work.

Mastering Yoga collects the essence of time-tested and proven ancient Indian texts like the Patanjali Yog Pradeep, Hatha Yoga Pradeep, Gherand Samhita, Vashisht Samhita, etc., comprehensively. In addition, it has copious details on a wide range of related topics such as Ashtanga Yoga; Yogasanas; Pranayama; Mudras; Hastamudras; Bandhas; unique energy-creating Yoga postures and practices; meditation; Shatkarma; Kundalini Yoga; Nabhi Chikitsa (Navel Therapy); Surya and Chandra Namaskars; Hasya Yoga (Laughter Therapy), and much more. This multi-faceted book elaborates on the art of living a fulfilling life through the sustained practice of Yoga; the mutually symbiotic relationship between Yoga and Ayurveda; the positive effects of Yoga on mental health, including stress management; the importance of a proper diet; yogic postures and diets that are suitable for, and also those that are prohibited for particular ailments and medical conditions and useful advice on achieving overall holistic health. Along with explaining the scientific basis of yogic practices, Mastering Yoga is a complete canon of the discipline of Yoga and its healing and curative powers, aimed at providing you with long-lasting physical, mental and spiritual well-being and good health.

For the spiritual aspirant, samkhya is the metaphysics of self-realization and yoga is the sadhana or means to achieve it.

Yoga has come to be an icon of Indian culture and civilization, and it is widely regarded as being timeless and unchanging. Based on extensive ethnographic research and an analysis of both ancient and modern texts, Yoga in Modern India challenges this popular view by examining the history of yoga, focusing on its emergence in modern India and its dramatically changing form and significance in the twentieth century. Joseph Alter argues that yoga's transformation into a popular activity idolized for its health value is based on modern ideas about science and medicine. Alter centers his analysis on an interpretation of the seminal work of Swami Kuvalayananda, one of the chief architects of the Yoga Renaissance in the early twentieth century. From this point of orientation he explores current interpretations of yoga and considers how practitioners of yogic medicine and fitness combine the ideas of biology, physiology, and anatomy with those of metaphysics, transcendence, and magical power. The first serious ethnographic history of modern yoga in India, this fluently written book is must reading not only for students and scholars but also practitioners who seek a deeper understanding of how yoga developed over time into the exceedingly popular phenomenon it is today.