Yoga Sutras: The Means To Liberation (Hardcover)

by Dennis Hill (Author)
Key Phrases: astanga yoga, ekagrata parinama, samadhi parinama, Yoga Sutras, The Fourth, The Sanskrit (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Patanjali's Yoga Sutras is the fundamental sourcebook for yoga and meditation. It is a must-read for the student, as well as the teacher, on this wisdom path.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 132 pages
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing (December 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1425159826
• ISBN-13: 978-1425159825
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,302,946 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Introduction to Yoga, March 27, 2009

By	Mark Damir (Modesto, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is the perfect introduction to yoga!

No one can read any version of the Yoga Sutras quickly or casually and thereby claim to have an understanding of this deep, esoteric and sometimes mentally exhausting field of study. As a long-time student and practitioner of yoga I found Dennis Hill's book to be a perfect introduction to this ancient science. While scholarly and replete with essential Sanskrit terminology this book is accessible and user-friendly. It can be read and studied with delight and appreciation. I would describe it as a plain-language explanation of a difficult and often bewilderingly complex subject.

Today, popular schools of yoga are mostly associated with physical fitness and exercise and many students believe fitness and health are the ultimate aim of "doing yoga". Most yoga teachers know that bodily health and strength, while valuable, are still not the ultimate aim of yoga practice. But most teachers also know that their students are not typically interested in the complex, terminology-laden text known as the Yoga Sutras. Peace, steadiness of mind and deep understanding of our place and purpose in the world are concepts and attributes far more elusive and difficult to attain than physical fitness. But how do we get there from here?

For the beginner, and especially for students training to be yoga instructors, no better map can be found on the path to understanding than this one. Dennis Hill is a teacher of meditation and yoga philosophy, with students in the Central Valley of California and elsewhere. He embodies the wisdom and insight that are the goals of yoga study and practice. This book is his offering of his own deep and clear understanding of yoga, backed up by real examples and definitions of the psychic states and various attainments which the serious and persistent yoga practitioner and student can expect. I especially appreciate his explanation of the worldly mind as a "contraction" of the ultimate, absolute consciousness. This limited or contracted mind, while useful for some purposes, can never be as vast or effective or as delightful as the Self or unlimited consciousness. This is just one example of how he effectively defines and illustrates the goal of Yoga or Union with the divine.

The ancient Yoga Sutras are the most succinct and yet complete exposition of the terminology and practice of attaining the ultimate state of union with higher consciousness. There are many interpretations and translations of the Yoga Sutras and the serious student will find almost all of them fascinating and helpful. Even so, many years of intense study, practice and reflection are required for a true knowledge of the principles of yoga. Also required for teaching is a talent for clear communication. Dennis Hill has done this difficult work, he has this talent, and it all comes through in this compact yet complete publication. I highly recommend it.