I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with Laura von Ostrowski (video included). Her new book explores how modern practitioners use Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, focusing particularly on Ashtanga Vinyasa. As we discuss in our chat, this raises lots of broader questions. To start with, what exactly is the philosophy of yoga? Has it changed over time? Are there many different yogas? How do today’s theories relate to the past, as well as to practice and everyday life? And if we reinterpret texts to suit modern priorities, might it better to write new ones ourselves?