What is Yoga ? ( Limitless, but yet resting deep within!)

I find it necessary that we still dwell on the profound nature of the destination of Yoga. In our earlier post, we identified Yoga as the state of unity and oneness between the individual Self and the divine all pervading Universal Conciousness.

To touch upon this unity and oneness, the Seeker ( The one who wants to tread the path of Yoga) embarks on an Inward Journey. The Seeker , turning their mind inward, progressively controls and aligns all the sheaths of their being, thereby finding and finally becoming centred in their divine and blissful self (which we refer to as the Seer or Knower)

This state of self-realisation is the penultimate stage of Yoga.

The Kathōpanishad describes Yoga thus: " When the senses are stilled, when the mind is at rest, when the intellect wavers not - then, say the wise, is reached the highest stage. This steady control of senses and mind has been defined as Yoga. He who attains it is free from delusion."

It is from here, through profound meditation, the knower, the knowledge and the known become one. The seer, the sight and the seen have no separate existence from each other.

It is with this orientation that we need to approach all the stages of our Yoga Practice (which we refer to as Yoga here onwards) .

For, the fruits of every act of Yoga , however simple or strenuous, will be multifold , if it is performed with dedication to the divine. And the destination will be an eternal joy, peace and harmony which is beyond the grasp of senses.

Bibliography :

Light on Yoga by B.K.S Iyengar

Patanjali Yoga Sutras (The Heart of Yoga) by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Bhagavad Gita - by Jayadayal Goyandka (Gita Press Gorakhpur

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