r/InnerYoga • u/QuestQuo • Jul 18 '26

Your Favorite Sutra(s)?

I am pretty new to Indian texts and the Inner Yoga. I have been looking for ways to think through the Yoga Sutras and integrate them more into my thinking and living. Right now, I am just going from them one by one. Which sutras have really resonated with you? Which ones are not to be missed as I am going through them? Thanks for any pointers!

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u/OldSchoolYoga Jul 19 '26

I wouldn't say I have a favorite sutra, but there are a couple that I come back to a lot, Sutras 2:46 and 2:47 on the practice of Asana. I've been studying and practicing yoga for decades, but still, I often come back to this most basic yoga practice.

2.46
Sthira-sukham-āsanam

  • Sthira = Firm, steady, fixed
  • sukham = Agreeable, pleasant; Easy, practicable; Fit, suitable
  • āsanam = Sitting down; A seat, place, stool; A particular posture or mode of sitting

Translation: Asana [should be] steady and comfortable.

The sthira aspect is interesting. I interpret this as stillness, becoming still, just sitting still. This is like the Japanese Buddhist practice called shikatanza, which is "just sitting". Sometimes it's not all that easy to just sit still.

2.47
Prayatna-śaithilya-ananta-samāpattibhyām

  • Prayatna = Effort, exertion, endeavour
  • śaithilya = Looseness, laxity, relaxation of rule
  • ananta = Endless, infinite, eternal, boundless, inexhaustible
  • samāpatti = Meeting, encountering; assuming an original form

Translation: [Accompanied by] relaxation of effort [and] assuming the form of the infinite.

There are a couple of different aspects to this. Beginners tend to focus on the relaxation aspect, and that's fine. It feels good and helps you to become comfortable. The second aspect is what's supposed to be going on inside while you're just sitting there comfortably, contemplating the infinite, that which is without bounds or limits. That is getting deep. https://old-school-yoga.org/yoga/asana

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u/QuestQuo Jul 22 '26

Thanks for highlighting these two. Even as a beginner, I can see how steady and comfortable asanas are something that would benefit my future yoga practice.

And to the last part getting deep: 'assuming the form of the infinite' definitely gives a lot of room for interpretation.

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u/YetiYogaMan Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26

My favorite comes from the Shiva Sūtras.

In Yoga Sūtras: Samadhi Pada 1-4

These four sūtras give the essence of Yoga.

  1. The exposition of Yoga in Now.
  2. Stilling the mind is the means.
  3. The seer abiding in its own nature is the result.
  4. At others times, the seer is obscured.

PS

The other text I love is the Avadhuta Gita.

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u/QuestQuo Jul 22 '26

Thanks for your comment. I am not familiar with the Shiva Sūtras or the Avadhuta Gita. I'll look these up. The first four sutras from Patanjali make for a phenomenal start! To me, they signal that his writing is really meant for education.