Yoga Sutra 1.4

Yoga Sutra 1.4: वृत्ति सरुप्य मितरत्र

vṛtti sārūpyam itaratra

(vṛit-ti sah-roop-yam it-ar-ah-trah)

At times when restraint is not present,

the Self identifies with the contents of the mind. 

Who am I?  This is a question that truly sets the foundation and begins our yogic journey. 

Is the image of myself who I am? Am I my body? Do my emotions, do my likes and dislikes, do my talents define me? Am I the mind?

Here Patanjali tells us that when we are not practicing Yoga that we have a natural tendency to associate with our thoughts and our mind. That we can easily forget that we are more than just the roles we play in our society.

• वृत्ति vṛtti – the effects of the thoughts on the mind/consciousness
• स्वरूपे sārūpyam – similar, in resemblance to
• मितरत्र Itaratra – at other times

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