Light on Yoga: The Bible of Modern Yoga... Book

I have been wanting to read Light on Yoga for a long time now, and The International Day of Yoga gave a good pretext for finally doing so. Iyengar's work is a must read for all serious practitioners. It gives perspective, and it gives direction. Even if someone is only interested in the yoga poses as a mere workout, reading about those poses, their interconnections, derivations and interlinked effects, would be of great help.

However, the main value of the work is in placing the modern practice of Yoga in its proper context. A concise form of this understanding can be gained by just understanding the seven stages of Yoga as laid out by Patanjali. The Yoga poses that we normally focus on is just one of the stages of Yoga and it is not even the place to start:

THE STAGES OF YOGA
Patanjali helps us focus on the ends mand means of Yoga - He enumerates the means as the eight limbs or stages of Yoga for the quest of the soul. They are:
1. Yama (universal moral commandments)
2. Niyama (self purification by discipline)
3. Asana (posture)
4. Pranayama (rhythmic control of the breath)
5. Pratyahara (withdrawal and emancipation of the mind from the domination of the senses and exterior objects)
6. Dharana (concentration)
7. Dhyana (meditation)
8. Samadhi (a state of super-consciousness brought about by profound meditation, in which the individual aspirant (sadhaka) becomes one with the object of his meditation - Paramatma or the Universal Spirit).

Of these, the first two - Yama and Niyama - are the starting points - they control the yogi's passions and emotions and keep him in harmony with his fellow man.
According to Patanjali these two stages are the prerequisites to further practice of Yoga: Without firm foundations a house cannot stand. Without the practice of the principles of yama and niyama, which lay down firm foundations of yoga, further progress is not possible. Practice of asanas without the backing of yama and niyama is mere acrobatics, according to Iyengar.

Then comes the Asanas - which keep the body healthy and strong and in harmony with nature. Through them the Yogi conquers the body and renders it a fit vehicle for the soul. These first three stages are the outward quests (bahiranga sadhana).

The next two stages, Pranayama and Pratyahara, teach the aspirant to regulate the breathing, and thereby control the mind. This helps to free the senses from the thraldom of the objects of desire. These two stages of Yoga are known as the inner quests (antaranga sadhana).

Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi take the yogi into the innermost recesses of his soul. The yogi does not look heavenward to find God. He knows that HE is within, being known as the Antaratma (the Inner Self). The last three stages keep him in harmony with himself and his Maker. These stages are called antaratma sadhana, the quest of the soul.