Yoga, a path to merge with the divine

As we celebrated International Yoga Day on Sunday, I shall discuss the real significance of yoga for us, human beings.

International Yoga Day isn’t a beginning for yoga, it is the beginning of the acceptance of yoga or spirituality as the only way towards success and progress! Anything that we humans acknowledge and practice should only be with the intention to achieve success and progress.

The very word yoga is only for human beings, not for animals. Animals are also creations of the divine, but we are the only divine creation who can connect with and be one with the divine. It is with this pride and honor that we celebrate international yoga day, realizing that everything is created by the divine, but we alone have the right of saying we are divine creations, or divine beings who can experience the divine.

Yoga isn’t a religious concept that varies from person to person based on geography, culture etc. It is a simple and scientific process which produces positive changes in the body and mind to experience oneness with the divine. In today’s world physical exercises like breathing and asanas are considered as yoga. These are physical aspects to achieve yoga, but yoga is finding ultimate union with the self and with the supreme self.

Yoga is a process that confirms that Hinduism isn’t a religion, it is a way of life. A yogi is one who has surpassed the limitations of religion, rituals and belief systems. One who has attained the state of supreme consciousness through self-effort. Not every Hindu is a yogi, but every yogi is a Hindu. Because of this it is believed that Yoga is a process of Hindus. No.

Yoga is for everyone, for every religion and every community to feel divine presence within oneself. Hinduism has created a system to experience consciousness of God and not to be stuck with the belief or with the concept of God. The science of yoga was followed by people whose way of life was Hinduism, but yoga isn’t only for Hindus.

Yoga is beyond cast, community and concepts because it produces unstoppable and incredible results when practiced the way it should be practiced. This clears the doubt; yoga isn’t only for Hindus, it is for all religions, for every human being.

The root cause of every problem is thinking, not just thinking but wrong and excessive thinking. As human beings, thinking is a natural process that happens through the mind. We cannot take control over our thinking, but we can take control on the quality of thinking.

At the same time the solution for every problem isn’t just knowledge of the self, but right knowledge of the self. The difference between the two is this; knowledge of the self is identifying with one’s own egoistic concept; like ‘I’m a Hindu’ or ‘I’m a Christian’, a doctor a teacher etc. Right knowledge about the self is knowledge of the Atman, and this knowledge too will remain knowledge without an experience of the self.

To experience the self, yoga is the only way, it is not an option, it is the only solution and for which meditation is the only way. Yoga and meditation can never be separated. All physical exercise and breathing practices are done only to sit in meditation to experience oneness with the divine. Meditation is a process to experience union with the divine. Because the stillness in meditation is nothing but oneness with the divine, which we call yoga.

Wishing you a life of Health, Peace, and Happiness.

Aham Brahmasmi!!