The Light of the Soul – Its Science and Effect – A Paraphrase of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a translation and commentary on the teachings of Patanjali 2nd c. BCE. The Light of the Soul consists of 4 books of sutras with commentaries by Alice A. Bailey, each book being a continuation of the teaching of the last book. The teaching covers the greater part of that path, starting from when we first recognize its existence. The entire approach of the sutras is a mental and deeply spiritual one. It outlines the practical, though inner, steps that the spiritual seeker must take in order to move from one point to the next. Much of the text is about how to spiritualise the mind (and our entire self using the mind correctly) and prepare ourselves for this spiritual transformation.
Pease note: this is a different author from Alice Bailey.
Alice A. Bailey (1880-1949) was an English esoteric practitioner and writer. At the age of 35, she entered the Theosophical Society center in Los Angeles (USA), at the Pacific Grove Theosophical Lodge. In 1919, Bailey (39 years old) severed her ties to the Theosophical Society and began to write texts that he claimed were dictated telepathically by a certain "Tibetan," or "D. K. ». She published those texts under the title Human and Solar Initiation. There she made known the existence of the spiritual hierarchy, which Madame Blavatsky had already spread, although not in an orderly way. She later revealed that the Tibetan D.K. was the master Djwal Khul. She wrote using the teacher's name for 30 years, from 1919 until her death in 1949.
This book has little to do with yoga or the Yoga Sutras and states this in the introduction. The author did not read the sutras, but had them translated by an unidentified "Tibetan" which she then summarizes. The result is a mixture of Protestant Christianity, Hinduism, Theosophy, with a hint of yoga and a large dollop of colonialism chopped together into a very weird spiritual salsa. As an example of the Theosophy being practiced during the time of Blavatsky, it's fairly classic which is probably the only redeeming factor.
Wonderful book that helps one read between the lines as one walks the path of life with one foot on earth and the other on the "other or esoteric" side.
This book is loaded with very advanced spiritual techniques and knowledge. I suggest going through the book with the guidance of a spiritual teacher, specially if you wish to practice the meditations. Master Hector Ramos is one of the teachers who can walk you through it. Previous background in esoteric studies is required to gain an understanding of the content of the book. It is one of the deepest texts based Yoga Sutras of Patanjali that I am aware of. I stopped practicing the book midway.