Art Credit: Chema Méndez (@mendezmendezart)
Bear with me as this might be a long post.
Many of us treat Yoga as a simple physical routine, a one-hour session of poses (asanas), breathwork (pranayama), and a quick dose of "mindfulness." While these practices are incredibly valuable, they are just the entry point.
To truly understand Yoga, we have to look at its core purpose.
In the Yoga Sutras, Sage Patanjali defines it clearly: “Yogaś citta vritti nirodhaḥ.”
Meaning: Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.
The crucial word here is cessation, not suppression.
Yoga is not about forcefully crushing your thoughts. It is the practice of calming the constant mental chatter so you can connect with your true nature. It's when you realise you are not the clouds (the thoughts) but the sky itself which is the witness of fleeting clouds.
Think of your mind like a pond. When the surface is covered in ripples, you cannot see the bottom. But when those mental ripples stop, the water becomes clear, and you can finally perceive reality as it is.
Through focused contemplation and observation, the lower fluctuations of the mind, like anger, hatred, and ego, naturally begin to fade. The mind stops pulling you in every direction and settles into its natural state of stillness and peace.
In that deep stillness, a profound shift happens, which is, the individual ego dissolves into something universal. The True Self reveals itself to the seeker, Ishwara (the Divine) to the devotee, and Purusha (Pure Consciousness) to Prakriti (Nature).
Because the yogis see this universal truth, the wise look at every being with an equal eye. True Yogis see the divine essence in everyone, treating the joys and sorrows of others as if they were their own.
This beautiful perspective is echoed perfectly in the Bhagavad Gita (BG 6.32):
BG 6.32: I regard them to be perfect yogis who see the true equality of all living beings and respond to the joys and sorrows of others as if they were their own.
Therefore, Yoga is not just a quick routine to check off your daily list; it is a vehicle to realize our shared universality. It teaches us to treat everyone with kindness and to remain balanced through the natural ups and downs of life.
Crucially, this stillness transforms how we move through the world. Yoga is not limited to silent meditation or breathwork, it expresses itself dynamically through four interconnected paths: action (Karma), knowledge (Jnana), devotion (Bhakti), and meditation (Raja). The mind naturally finds peace when our actions are dedicated to a higher purpose, and every path seamlessly intertwines with the others.
When we overcome the lower tendencies (vasanas) that bind us, every action is naturally performed for loka-sangraha i.e for the welfare of the world and the collective consciousness of society. For a yogi, every single action becomes divine.
We thus must extend Yoga to every moment of our lives. Even after our mat practice is over, that stillness should carry over into every task we perform and every interaction we have, deeply ingrained in our consciousness. By doing so, we turn everyday life into the ultimate practice of Yoga.
Thanks for reading!
Hare Krishna! 🙏
