After thousands of years of individuals practicing yoga under the direction of a teacher or guru who would orally pass down the traditions that guru had learned from their own teacher, a basic path was put into writing. Around 200 AD the text, the YOGA SUTRA, appeared. It is attributed to Patanjali, although it might have risen through a group effort. Little is known of its origins. Some consider it a response to the growing popularity of Buddhism to remind spiritual seekers of the reach of yoga beyond what they perceived as the goals of Buddhist teachings.

The YOGA SUTRA describes a basic system for the practice of yoga, an eight-limbed path for fostering connection to the divine.

WEIGHT LOSS THROUGH YOGA, JEWEL IN THE LOTUS    page 71.