Yoga Before Religion | The Original Science of Union

Later, the steps to yoga were systematized in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (c. 200 BCE–200 CE), which consolidated earlier teachings into a concise structure of mental discipline. Patanjali’s definition - yoga chitta-vritti-nirodha - defines yoga as the cessation of mind stuff through direct practice of meditation, without reference to belief, worship, or external authority.