The Yoga Sutras of Maharshi Patanjali are an elegant description of the expansion of consciousness and the psychological, emotional, and physical transformations involved. Many commentators have mistaken the sutras for steps to enlightenment, believing it necessary to renounce normal life and force the mind into silence. Nothing could be further from the truth. This translation and commentary corrects this unfortunate distortion, clearly revealing the power of the sutras to illuminate the nature of the Self and brings to light the true purpose and meaning of Patanjali's words. The Yoga Sutras do not contain the actual techniques to achieve enlightenment, but do describe what happens when proper tools are correctly applied. The techniques themselves have always been passed on through personal instruction, one enlivened heart to another.