Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2 is a Lakṣaṇa Sūtra in that it
describes the characteristics of Yoga as Citta Vṛtti Nirodha.”
– TKV Desikachar

“Yoga directs the mind to what is happening now.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“Yoga presumes for most people that mind is the same,
always planning ahead or basing itself on what has happened.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“People often ask me if I teach Āsana.
When I say “Yes, I do.” they say,
“Oh you are a Haṭha Yogi.”
If I talk about the Yoga Sūtra
they say, “You are a Rāja Yogi.”
If I say I am chanting the Veda,
they say, “You are a Mantra Yogi.”
If I say I just practice Yoga,
they can’t understand.
They want to put a label on me.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
‘Various Approaches to Yoga’
Chapter Seventeen Page 247-248

“Has the word Yoga lost its meaning?”
– Question posed by TKV Desikachar August 1983 
(over three decades ago!)

“Words have meanings based on roots and on usage, its origin and how it is utilised.
Yoga is a good example of a word based on its original meaning and convention.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“Even though we feel good about Yoga and we have some understanding,
we have problems relating this to others.
Even before saying anything they have one idea or another.
We have problems communicating with people when it comes to Yoga.
Not so with Art, etc.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“Yoga  is often attributed to Āsana practice alone,
which is only the part of Yoga focusing on the physical body or servicing the body.”
– From study notes with TKV Desikachar England 1992

“Yoga – To Link to myself.
Hinduism – To Link to God.”
– TKV Desikachar introducing the Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2001

“The current world of Yoga seems to be made up of many small parts,
each one competing with and often confusing the other.
This is not consistent with the spirit of Yoga,
whose very meaning is ‘to unite’.”
– TKV Desikachar May 2002

“Yoga is the pursuit of the unpursuable.”
– TKV Desikachar

“Before there can be Yoga or linking there must be Viyoga or unlinking.
What are we prepared to unlink from in order to link?”

“Yoga Practice is an essential part of Yoga Study.
Rather than Yoga Study being an essential part of Yoga Practice.”

“One of the aims in Yoga is to yoke to
the more discerning aspects of the psyche,
rather than to the more distracting aspects of the psyche.”

Links to Related Posts:

Yoga Practice and Study was seen by T Krishnamacharya as……

Yoga as a View, Practice and Tool – Part One

Yoga as a View, Practice and Tool – Part Two

Yoga as a View, Practice and Tool – Part Three

The View of Rāja Yoga, Practice of Haṭha Yoga and Tool of viniyoga of Yoga

What is Yoga? – An interview with Paul Harvey on BBC Radio Bristol 1986.

Yoga can be a mystery to be resolved or a question to be solved……