What is Yoga?
WHO ARE YOU?
Are we being authentic to our true selves?
When someone asks you to describe yourself, we often start with a list that includes our name, our gender, our profession, where we are from. But are these labels that we identify, really who we are? In truth, we are all energies moving around, taking, giving, interacting and reacting. This energy is the soul. The natural nature of the soul is peace, love, purity and happiness. Part of the peacelessness and unrest in our world is due to the infiltration of our personalities with ALGAE— anger, lust, greed, attachment, and ego. Because over time, we have become more “body conscious”— identifying with our various labels and roles, and looking externally for peace and love, we have forgotten this deep truth—that we are the soul. The soul is like a memory chip—it holds the memory of our original nature. It can emit the fragrance of our essential qualities in a second. All we have to do is to connect.
What comes out when you squeeze an orange? Orange Juice. Why? Because that is what is inside. That is it’s essence. What comes out of you? Do you choose to live in the dark or do you choose to be the one that says I have to live my life from the light of the soul?
This journey of recognizing and experiencing who you really are takes time, effort and energy, but it is your choice. Pick a daily practice something that grounds you, brings you closer to your essence, and connects you closer to the Divine.
WHAT IS YOGA?
The word yoga has its origin in the root “yuj” from Sanskrit, which means “to join” or “to unite.” Throughout time and history, 8 main branches of yoga have originated. They are all special and unique in their own way with regards to their particular focus, fragrance and practices, however they each work together intrinsically to inspire us to reunite with our Truth, connecting Upwards, inwards and then outwards.
By connecting Upwards, with the Divine, we are filled by the Ocean of all virtues. If we don’t connect with the Source, our golden pot eventually becomes dry and we start looking externally for things to replace this emptiness. Hence starts our race for name, fame, wealth and power. Through the power of yoga, this Divine connection allows us to realize, feel and experience our true inner nature; we can then easily connect inwards. Once we have this inner mastery, the energy that we put out into the world—through our thoughts, words, and actions—allows for harmony of outer social impact and connection.
We should strive to always be in a state of yoga, a state of union. It is not just limited to doing certain yoga postures, sitting in a corner in meditation—though these practices are wonderful and create structure and discipline and allow us to dedicate time during the day. However, it is about a constant awareness of our thoughts, our reactions, our qualities, our soul, our Source. Our goal is to operate from our essence all the time—when we are walking, talking, working, eating.
Does what go on inside MATCH what we show to the world about ourselves outside? Through this journey of yoga, it is important to be honest with ourselves and with the process, as we travel back to our purity. We all fall off, and that is ok. Be kind to yourself. It gives us a chance to see what we missed and what ALGAE still remains. Yes, the journey of union with our true essence is about feeling peace, love and joy, but it is also about acknowledging and embracing your weaknesses. And through the power of yoga, we wash away the weaknesses; the lens with which we view the world changes from negative to positive; we feel true freedom in life.
Through yoga, become the king of yourself– your thoughts, your reactions, your actions, your senses—a true raj yogi. Your inner state of being should not be dependent on anything external—objects, people, situations. It is all within you—this is just a simple reminder. Om Shanti.