Exploring the Three Sources of Right Knowledge in Yoga
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, we’re invited to pause and reflect not just on what we think—but how we know something in the first place.
In Sutra I.7, Patanjali outlines three valid ways of gaining knowledge:
Pratyakṣa – Direct perception
Anumāna – Inference
Āgama – Testimony or reliable authority
These are referred to as the three kinds of pramāṇa—or ways of knowing that are considered trustworthy.
Let’s take a look at how each one plays out in everyday life—and on the mat.
1. Pratyakṣa: Seeing for Yourself
This is knowledge that comes from your own direct experience—what you see, feel, and sense.
In yoga, this might mean noticing how your shoulders feel after practicing Gomukhasana. Or realizing that your breath changes when you adjust the position of your head in a forward bend. It’s what you observe firsthand, without relying on anyone else’s interpretation.
The challenge? We don’t always see clearly. Our habits, assumptions, and emotional filters can distort perception. Which is where the other two forms of knowing come in.
2. Anumāna: Inference
Sometimes, you don’t see the fire—but you see the smoke and know something’s burning.
In class, maybe you see a student struggling to balance in Vrksasana and infer that the weight isn’t evenly distributed. Or you adjust your hand in Downward Dog and realize the shoulder tension eases—so you infer that placement matters.
This is reasoning. It fills in the gaps between what we sense directly and what we conclude based on patterns.
3. Āgama: Reliable Testimony
This is knowledge passed down from a trusted source—like a teacher, text, or tradition.
In Iyengar Yoga, that includes what we’ve learned from B.K.S. Iyengar, from our mentors, and from the long lineage of practitioners who’ve come before us. When someone with deep experience tells you, “Keep the head of the femur back,” you might not feel anything change right away—but you trust the instruction enough to keep exploring it.
It’s not blind faith. It’s informed trust.
The Yoga of Inquiry
Good practice weaves these three ways of knowing together. We listen to the teacher (āgama), test the idea through action (pratyakṣa), and notice what happens over time (anumāna).
Together, they give us a fuller picture—one that helps us navigate the complexity of the body, the mind, and life itself.