Yoga Sutras by Patanjali has achieved the status of being one of the most important classical yoga texts and Patanjali's definition of yoga is also one of the most widespread. He was the first to methodically record the ancient and timeless knowledge of yoga in eight classical steps. With Patanjali, yoga was incorporated into the Hindu tradition as one of six philosophical paths and gained its distinct Indian character.
Patanjali's classic sutras are carefully interpreted by the Swedish author Jan Fahleman. He has practiced meditation and yoga asanas for many decades and applied some of Patanjali's sutras. He has studied Vedic literature and various spiritual masters since the 1970s.