“Self-identification with the difficulties we encounter tends to make us dramatize them and lose track of what is really going on.”

– Bernard Bouanchaud, The Essence of Yoga

“A disturbed mind can rarely focus in a single direction. If it ever does, comprehension of the object will be faulty.”

– T.K.V. Desikachar, Reflections on Yoga Sutra-s of Patanjali

 

“…when one is not aware of the distinction between consciousness and the mind, one wrongly attributes the states of the mind to the self. The cause of the person’s anxiety, frustrations, and experiences is misidentification with something that he or she is not. ”

– Edwin F. Bryant, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

 

“The purusa is the individual spirit that is part of a universal spirit….Underneath our changing body, breath, thoughts, and emotions lies a softly glowing light of awareness. The tools and techniques provided by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras are all meant to clear our heart and mind for the single purpose of connecting with this purusa. Along the way, these practices reduce impurities, cultivate inner contentment, and cause us to become kind and compassionate citizens of the world by enabling us to see this divine essence within all sentient beings.”

– Nicolai Bachman, The Path of the Yoga Sutras

 

“…by changing your mind you change everything. If only we could understand this point, we would see that there is nothing wrong outside; it is all in the mind….That’s why yoga is based on self-reformation, self-control and self-adjustment.”

–Sri Swami Satchidananda, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

 

“…without any identifications, who are you? Have you ever thought about it? When you really understand that, you will see we are all the same. ”

–Sri Swami Satchidananda, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali