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Yoga As a Way of Life: A Deeper Understanding of Yoga from the Bhagavad Gita

Yoga, when translated to English from its Sanskrit origins, means union. In yoga, the goal is to unite the body, mind and spirit–the ego and the authentic Self that is one with all of creation. Yoga isn’t just physical postures and movements… That’s only a small part of what yoga is in its full complexity.

The yoga described in the ancient sacred text, The Bhagavad Gita, informs us that our entire life can be a living breathing yogic practice. If the goal is peace, connection with the Divine and sharing our light with the world, it’s the yoga of the Gita that guides us toward this reality. The words you speak, the actions you take, the mindset you align with… This is all a part of the yoga of life.

The Bhagavad Gita provides many examples of yoga in its full expression. When you start making your life a yogic practice, a shift occurs. Suddenly, each action you take is imbued with the same graceful, soul-aligned energy that you feel after a yoga class.

Be empowered to allow these definitions of yoga from the Bhagavad Gita to flood your daily life with a wave of selfless love and connection to the Divine.
 

Yoga connects us with the great mystery, the wonder of existence, and life as it is.

“Yoga is a pure, determined force that moves us toward the mysterious and secret, and connects us with the wonderfulness of existence, of being, and of all life itself.”

Yoga fuels the transcendental experience of moving beyond our created self image and into Universal consciousness. When you turn your attention from the sensory world, within, you attune to the mystical experience of ever flowing joy, love and peace which flowers from the Divine within you. It is the understanding of Self, through yoga, which attunes you to the experience of the vibrational reality of oneness.

Yoga connects us with our deepest capacity to connect with the Universe and love fully and completely.

“Yoga is our intimate connection with the whole universe, with eternal realms even beyond the manifested universe, and with our own being’s endless capacity to love.”

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna explains that yoga is an unwavering offering of love. It is the continuous choice of love over fear. When the ego tempts us into a fear-based reaction, the practice of yoga can remind us that we have the option to choose love in each moment.

Yoga is a practice of complete acceptance.

“Yoga is a vision that excludes nothing from its practice.”

Everything in life is an opportunity to deepen our yoga practice. The Universe serves us opportunities to deepen our yoga, our union with the Divine, every single moment of every day. The experience of resistance simply fuels the ego and strengthens the illusion of division. When we choose acceptance, we choose to see life as it is. There’s no exclusion. There is only oneness and connection.

Yoga is fearless.

“Yoga is fearless, is illuminating, and is a journey that does not end with death.”

The essential fear of the human experience is death. The yoga that Krishna speaks of in the Gita is unafraid of death because the Divine essence in us all can never die. In the practice of yoga, the fear of death is diminished, and in turn, all other fears subside. Love becomes the master of life and living and the illusion of death dissipates with grace.

Yoga brings harmony.

“Yoga is sacrifice that elevates us, motivates us, actively engages us and does so in a manner that is harmonious to all other living beings.”

When we choose to live life in alignment with the Divine, we are choosing harmony, we are choosing balance, we are choosing a worthy devotion to gift to the world. It’s this knowing that keeps us going, even when it’s easier to fall back into old patterns and conditioning.

Yoga is about connection.

“Yoga is nourished in the company of other yoga practitioners, by offerings of love, and the understandings they give rise to.”

The connection with people on the same path offers the same benefits as the Sangha does in Buddhist traditions. Our commitment and devotion are strengthened in the presence of others on a similar journey.

Yoga is a practice of complete awareness and an outpouring of love in reciprocity toward the wonder of life.

“Yoga is a heightened sensitivity and awareness of all life around us and within us, and an outpour of love in reciprocation with life’s wonder and beauty.”

This aspect of yoga is the remembrance of God in everything. Krishna explains to Arjuna that he is present in every aspect of existence, in the taste of pure water, in the scent of the Earth and in the seed of all beings. The wonder and beauty of this awareness inspires us to share our own Divinity with the world, an outpouring of love is our natural response to a life filled with awe and wonder.

Yoga is selfless.

“Yoga is selfless, cleansing, freeing, balancing, inspiring, and joyfully performed: a vision in which one experiences peaceful interconnectedness with all life around them.”

Yoga isn’t something that we practice for our own benefit. Self-realization and the subsequent diminishment of suffering benefits humanity as a whole. When you practice yoga, you move into the awareness of total oneness. That what benefits you, on the level of your soul, in turn benefits all of your brothers and sisters. Krishna goes on to describe the boundless happiness that occurs as a result of yoga.

Yoga is everlasting and fueled by love.

“Yoga is everlasting, primal, revealing, the archetypal light fueled by love.”

Yoga is the light that guides us when we feel lost. It is the illuminated aspect of our being which strengthens our memory of interconnection with the entire Universe. It is love and devotion which fuels this light that remains our spiritual compass wherever we go.

Yoga is a way of life.

Yoga is clear, discerning, totally voluntary, dynamic participation in one’s life.

The dynamic consistent commitment to a life of connection and devotion to the Divine is yoga. There’s no forcing anybody. It's purely our own intentions which places us on this path. Yoga is a choice that we all have, not just once and for all, but in each and every moment.

There’s no time better than now to discover how these ancient teachings can expand you to move into connection with your limitless nature.

Click here to learn more about the Bhagavad Gita Sacred Teaching Series.
 



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