According to Patanjali, yoga is the ability to control the modifications of the mind with one's will-power.
Regulating the fluctuations of the mind is not a casual pursuit, and is only achieved through constant practice and with the spirit of renunciation.
- Even though the mental faculty undergoes a state of stillness at times, this cannot be called yoga. Such a physical state may resemble sleep. Fainting fits, catalepsy and hysteria also bring about a similar state of mental inactivity. People affected by such conditions are not conscious of anything, and are not practicing yoga.
