This article challenges interpretations of classical Yoga that have misrepresented Patañjali's philosophical outlook as being radically dualistic, isolationistic and world-denying. Drawing from classical texts, it is argued that Yoga is a balanced integration of the spiritual and material dimensions of human life. Yoga does not advocate abandonment or condemnation of the world but rather supports a stance that enables one to live more fully in the world without being enslaved by worldly identification. Yoga can thus be seen to incorporate a clarity of awareness with the integrity of being and action.
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