Pronunciation:
yogena chittasya padena vacham malam sharirasya cha vaidyakena | yo ’pakarottam pravaram muninam patanjalim pranjalir anato ’smi

Translation:
With palms folded together,
I bow respectfully to Patanjali, the best of sages,
Who dispels the impurities of the mind with Yoga,
Of speech through Grammar, and of the body by means of Medicine.

Why chant it:
This chant invoking Patanjali, one of the forefathers of the yoga tradition, is often chanted at the beginning of Iyengar Yoga classes or as an introduction to chanting the Yoga Sutra. Try it at the beginning of your practice as a way to honor the ancient tradition and to give thanks to the lineage of teachers. This chant also reminds us that yoga is meant to purify the mind, while Ayurvedic medicine can heal the body, and that our speech (and also our breath) is fundamental.