I have shared extensively across this website many of the reasons I believe the Yoga Sutras can help those on the awakening path.
For further clarity, I will add the following. My experience as an agent of numerous authors covering ancient history and wisdom provided me with many opportunities to understand the literary world. I took part in regular meetings with publishers and the media and spent countless hours discussing the mystery of life.
My experience as an agent combined with my extensive travels to ancient sites, plus my regular self-practice, highlighted the importance of experience. The experience of regular practice helped me to glean many insights. I brought this experience to reading the Yoga Sutras. The Sutras discuss many of the deep life lessons I had learned independently, including shedding light on some of the deep epiphanies I experienced while meditating at some of the most powerful ancient sites.
I was also able to cross-correlate the Sutras against the philosophy of ancient Egypt discussed by R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz. In both of these works, I could see the beauty of the human heart shining through. Most of us are probably aware of the finer qualities we possess, we are capable of great kindness, compassion, empathy and love among other wonderful characteristics. We can also experience, anger, rage, jealousy, selfishness and other emotions. In both of the texts mentioned, I found a philosophy and way of being designed to accentuate the finer qualities and at the same time lessen the impact of the less desirable emotions. I often wonder how a society educated from birth with the finer qualities mentioned would be. Hopefully, we will reach that state on this planet one day. In the meantime, all of us have the choice, we can nurture our finer qualities and do our best to grow. When enough people make the same decision, we will achieve the society I wondered over.
A note regarding the translation of the Sutras. There are a huge number of different commentaries on the Sutras. Due to the nature of the Sutras (threads), they are translated and explained based on the level of understanding and life experience the translator has. The translation and commentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda is one of the best, if not the best. I Have also included some information below by I. K. TAIMNI, another author worthy of serious consideration. On top of these two suggestions, I am currently cross-referencing against another 10 or so authors. To achieve a well-rounded perspective on the Sutras, I believe this is necessary. Each unique perspective can shed further light on the original essence intended. For the purposes of the casual reader, I believe the translation by Sri Swami Satchidananda will serve you very well. Feel free to leave your thoughts at the bottom of this page.
The important point is to make a definite beginning somewhere and as soon as possible—Now. The moment such a serious beginning is made forces begin to gather round the centre of endeavour and take the aspirant forward towards his goal, slowly at first, but with increasing speed until he becomes so absorbed in the pursuit of his ideal that time and distance cease to matter for him. And one day he finds that he has reached his goal and looks back with a kind of wonder at the long and tedious journey which he has completed in the realm of Time while all the time he was living in the Eternal.