What is Yoga all about?

Nowadays, at least in the Western world – yoga has become very popular. The reasons may be many. Some people practice yoga to improve their flexibility, strength, balance and others to feel more calm. All of these are valid and good, who doesn’t want to improve their abilities in these areas? On the other hand, if we look at the philosophy and history of Yoga, the physical postures we practice in class (Asanas) were originally intended as an form of preparation for meditation which is largely the opposite of the modern emphasis in yoga. Originally the idea is that we purify the body and align it before an deeper state of consciousness can happen. This approach can be seen in Hatha Yoga Pradipika: “When the body is purified, the breath becomes Steady, and the mind is one-pointed – then meditation becomes possible.”

This differs from many Buddhist traditions – where one typically sits directly in meditation to observe the mind without first engaging in physical or energetic preparation. In Yoga however, the path begins through the body and from there we expand the awareness. The ancient yogis discovered that by mastering the rhythm of the breath one could master the rhythm of the mind. When movement, breath and awareness merge into an single rhythm, meditation becomes effortless. References: Svatmarama. Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Translated by Brian Dana Akers.