Week 40 · eastern

Patanjali

Almost nothing is known about Patanjali personally. He may have been one person or several. What he left behind is a set of 196 aphorisms called the Yoga Sutras, and they remain the foundational text of classical yoga. If you've ever heard the word "yoga" used to mean something beyond physical postures, you're hearing Patanjali's influence.

“"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds." Patanjali wrote that 2,000 years ago. He was describing the moment when scattered mental energy suddenly unifies around something that matters. Every athlete, artist, and parent has felt it.”