 
27th July, 2019

The TRUE meaning of

YOGA

By

AiR

Overcome the Myth,

Discover the Truth!
PREFACE

The whole world is talking about Yoga. It is considered to be some mystical, Divine Indian concept that gives instant Peace. People say it is the Union of body, mind, and Soul. But is this what Yoga truly is?

Yoga today is primarily taught as a set of body postures or asanas. Some take it a step further and include breathing exercises referred to as pranayama. But this is not true Yoga! This may be good for our physical well-being and excellent as breathing exercises, but true Yoga is something completely different.

Foreigners flock to the Yoga capital of the world – Rishikesh on the foothills of the Himalayas in India to learn Yoga. There are hundreds of Yoga institutes and thousands of Yoga teachers, each teaching Yoga in their own unique way, based on certain ancient principles, but not many know what the true meaning of Yoga is.

Yoga is so popular that it has spread its influence globally. There are many Yoga journals, Yoga institutes and several million Americans, Europeans and others around the world who practice Yoga on a regular basis and the numbers are growing. Unfortunately, while they enjoy a good workout of body and mind, they have not discovered the Divine truth about Yoga.

Most people think of Yoga to be a magical exercise that promises good health and well-being through proper control of the body and breath. In reality, Yoga has very little to do with physical and breathing exercises. In fact, Yoga is all about transcending the body and mind. Unfortunately, we think of Yoga as a Yogic activity that circles around the body and we have become prisoners of the myth called Yoga.

Those who think that Yoga is just about stretching the body will be in for a big surprise when they read this book. It will trigger their mind and help them overcome the misconceptions about Yoga.

Yoga has become a global fashion with manufacturers producing special clothing, unique mats, and yogic music to facilitate the practice of Yoga. The commercialization of Yoga has reached its peak with special Yogic teas and decoctions. The creativity in Yoga merchandise is truly amazing!

All this is perfectly ok and there is certainly no harm in following and practising these body postures. In fact, it is good to perform these physical exercises and breathing practices for our general health and wellbeing as they help strengthen our physical and mental state. However, these twin practices that have become a global fad, in no way represent what Yoga truly is.

Yoga, in reality, is a Union with the Divine. There is no doubt that as part of the entire Yogic experience, some saints advocated certain body postures and breathing exercises to be a part of the overall Yoga practice, but most definitely, these by themselves are not Yoga.

True Yoga is a Soulful and Divine Experience and doesn't necessarily need one to do Asanas and Pranayama. These physical and breathing exercises are not mandatory to experience the benefits of Yoga.

Unfortunately, now that Yoga has become a fashion, people are blind to its true meaning. It has become so commercial that many hotels in India advertise Yoga sessions to lure foreign tourists to stay in their hotels. In fact, there are thousands of Yoga retreat centres that have mushroomed all over India and many parts of the world that boast of teaching Yoga and assure guests of a Yogic transformation after their Yoga retreat.

It is not only foreigners who have been carried away by a wrong understanding of Yoga. Most Indians too say that they are doing Yoga when they stretch their body a bit and when they perform asanas or pranayama. This breath control along with physical exercises, without the other aspects of Yoga, are ineffective in achieving the true objective of Yoga. It is only the tip of the iceberg.

Those who think Yoga is just asanas and pranayama do not realize that an essential and a large part of Yoga is missing and this results in ignorance - the true meaning of Yoga remains elusive as it continues to remain unknown to the world. In reality, the true meaning of Yoga is no secret, but because of the mass commercialization of the myth that is called Yoga, the truth about Yoga has lost its importance and significance.

Yoga is the key to unlock the ultimate goal of life - "Liberation", but to do so, we must understand the true meaning of Yoga. We must bust the myth about Yoga that is circulating all around the world and discover the true meaning of Yoga.

This book attempts to explain everything about Yoga, its actual meaning and significance, how it must be practised and how through Yoga, one can be liberated and experience ultimate Divine Peace and Bliss. Come let us discover the truth about Yoga.

Yoga is not just moving your hands and legs,

Yoga has a different Goal.

Yoga is realizing we are not body and mind,

Yoga discovers we are the Soul.

CONTENTS

  1. The Myth called Yoga

  2. What is the True meaning of Yoga

  3. Why Yoga is Important

  4. Purification, Illumination, and Unification

  5. Who is a True Yogi

  6. The 4 ways to Live in Yoga

  7. Yoga Leads to Liberation

  8. The 4 ways of a Yogic Life

  9. Surrender and Acceptance

  10. The Ultimate Goal of Yoga

Afterword

Poem

About the Author
CHAPTER 1: The Myth called Yoga

Yoga is a global phenomenon. Today, it has crossed the Indian borders and become more popular than biryani, tandoor, and chai. Yoga has entered the homes of the citizens in the east and west. People all over the world are doing Yoga every day and its followers are growing with each passing year. Some records suggest that billions of people around the world are doing Yoga. While there is no exact count of the number, there is no doubt that with the thousands of Yoga studios spread across the United States, the several Yoga institutes in the UK and the countless Yoga centres all over India, Yoga has taken the entire world by storm, crossing all bars of religions, cultures, and nationalities.

A Divine concept like Yoga has now evolved into not just body Yoga and mind Yoga, but also laughter Yoga, silence Yoga, naked Yoga, and Zen Yoga. The names are innumerable and several Gurus and many self-styled Yogis have created their own methodology of Yoga, only to complicate the subject further.

Their belief that Yoga is just about physical postures and breathing exercises is no doubt an absolute myth and our objective is to bust this myth as we realize the truth about Yoga. As we eliminate what Yoga is not, our goal is to discover the true meaning of Yoga. By doing so, we will reap the benefits of a Divine Activity, that will unlock the door to our ultimate goal of Life and then show us a way to everlasting peace, joy, and bliss.

Most of Yoga in the world today is about physical exercise, popularly known as Yogasana. While these are body postures that were originally designed to create a sitting posture so that one could remain in a state of silent meditation, Yogasanas have modernized into something else. Modern Yoga encompasses all kinds of physical exercises which include stretching of the body, reclining, standing, squatting, inverting and twisting the body. While these physical exercises may help improve flexibility and wellbeing, they have nothing to do with true Yoga. The most exotic Yoga asanas today seem to be Tadasana, or mountain pose, Vrikshasana or tree pose, Adhomukhoswanasana or downward facing dog pose, Trikonasana or triangle pose, Kursiasana or chair pose, Naukasana or boat pose and Bhujangasana or cobra pose. These unique postures are the brainchild of man, who started with simple postures like Sukhasana, a comfortable cross-legged position, Vajrasana or sitting on the heals, Padmasana or lotus position and ultimately, Shavasana or the corpse pose where one ends a Yoga session lying down, face upwards with body and mind focussing on nothing. Yoga has promised the world not just peace of mind, but the wellbeing of the physical and mental faculties that ultimately lead to the union of body, mind, and Soul. How these physical postures will take us to such a union, remains a mystery!

Another myth about Yoga is that one has to be flexible when in reality true Yoga has nothing to do with the physical self. No doubt a sick body cannot be in Yoga, but this myth that having a flexible body is a must to do yoga is an illusion. It confuses people about Yoga's true goal of Enlightenment. Instead of using the body and its physical presence as basic preparation for the advanced spiritual activity called Yoga, most of the world is just going around in circles and reaching nowhere. A true Yogi must be physically fit because a sick body cannot achieve the true objective of Yoga. To that extent, certain physical postures may be relevant for practicing Yoga, but they will not form the essentials of Yoga.

Those who go beyond physical exercises have made Yoga a set of breathing techniques, popularly known as Pranayama. Pranayama is all about controlling the breath. Pranayama advocates that the purpose of Yoga is to regulate prana or the vital life energy which is our very source and if we can control it, we will be blessed with peace and tranquillity. There is no doubt that breath control is important for our mental wellness and helps us achieve a state of momentary peace, but this by itself is not Yoga.

Today's Yoga, promises the sky as followers perform Asanas, Pranayama and evolve further into several Yogic practices like Bhramari, Anulom-Vilom, and Bhastrika Pranayama. By themselves, these unique breathing exercises might have their own benefits, but they cannot take one into a state of Yoga.

A very famous form of Yoga known as Kundalini Yoga, a school of Yoga influenced by Tantra focuses on awakening the Kundalini energy which rests like a coiled serpent at the base of the spine. Kundalini Yoga causes this energy to flow upward through our 7 chakras or energy centers that leads us to a state of spiritual consciousness, often referred to as the Kundalini awakening. While the practice of Kundalini exercise may very well have some physical benefits of concentrated energy rising upwards, towards the heart and the brain, it still doesn't qualify to be Yoga. Many people use Kundalini energy for other purposes but fail to achieve the real objective of Yoga.

Originally, Yoga used breath-control as a method to control the mind, just as it used right postures to tame the senses. These two aspects of basic Yoga activities have evolved to become Yoga in the world today which in reality they are not.

Yoga today is nothing more than gymming with traditional ideologies concocted into spiritual exercises of body and mind. Today's Yoga, using the promise of eternal bliss and peace, offers its followers good physical wellbeing and momentary peace, but in the bargain, masks the real meaning and benefit of Yoga which in reality is far more enriching and in fact, the ultimate goal of life.

This concocted Yoga and its modernization, that makes it both attractive and convenient to the world, has created a huge market. Starting with Yoga mats, a prescribed essential to do Asanas, it has grown into Yoga attire and enchanting music that can probably put one to sleep. As such, there is nothing wrong with these products, but they, in no way, help us achieve Yoga. In fact, they confuse us and we tend to say we are doing Yoga when in reality we are just doing some physical gymnastics.

Isn't it a shame that people say they are doing Yoga for weight loss? There is absolutely nothing wrong in doing physical exercises to lose the calories we have gained, but calling this Yoga is a pity. Yoga is a Divine activity and only a few are blessed or graced to develop the art. This wrong definition of Yoga attracts people and unfortunately does not stop millions and billions around the world from misinterpreting the meaning of Yoga.

In fact, it has become a fashion to say, "I am doing Yoga." People talk of Yoga like it is cooking or gardening. Yoga is not a mundane subject. Just stretching hands and feet doesn't constitute Yoga. Some people have become experts in quoting yogic terms like Suryanamaskar, salutation to the Divine Sun and think they have mastered the art of Yoga when in reality, they know nothing about it.

Yoga teachers who teach in several Yoga centres and institutes publish various Yoga journals. But is all this Yoga? While it has become Yoga in the context of today's understanding of the world, it is quite different from real Yoga. These two aspects of Yoga, the body postures and breath control, find their place in the ancient Patanjali Yoga known as the Ashtangi or the 8 limbs of Yoga. These are amongst the 2 preliminary activities of the above Yoga. Along with certain restraints and observances, these are supposed to help us control or withdraw our senses, take charge of our mind and then reach the ultimate goal of Yoga, popularly known as Samadhi. Unfortunately, we misunderstand Yoga and let it be considered as something very mediocre.

The myth of Yoga is so deeply embedded in the corporate world that several companies now have Yoga workshops to bring mindfulness in employees through a wellness programme. Yoga is used for stress control and to improve performance. However, just outside the workshop venue, soon thereafter, people are aggressively manipulating strategies to be successful in the business world. They then re-enter a Yoga workshop to purify the body and mind. They enjoy a moment of stillness and then jump back into the rat race of the world. This quick-fix method is not Yoga. It may be a good wellness programme but should be titled differently. It is unfortunate that we undermine the term Yoga and think of it to be some magical, stress-relieving strategy.

Unfortunately, the champions of today's Yoga have not only left Yoga to remain a myth but also misled the world, by allowing this Divine activity to be misunderstood as harmful. People perform crazy postures, exert their body to such an extent that Yoga is now considered dangerous and one that may cause injury. It is not uncommon to find injured knees, pulled hamstrings and dislocated joints due to Yoga. True Yogis find this to be strange that a Divine activity like Yoga has been so mythicized that it has completely lost its meaning and instead of it being a solution for stress and anxiety, it has become a cause of distress.

When will we end this mythical story of Yoga? When will we realize the true meaning of this Divine activity? When will we stop using the Divine term Yoga and understand its deep spiritual significance? There is no doubt that Yoga is one of the most profound activities in the world today. Not just 2 billion people as it is reported, but rather all 8 billion people in the world should learn the art of Yoga, not Yoga as it is understood today, but the true form of Yoga. Yoga is the ultimate goal of humanity. It is the way, not just to momentary peace but everlasting bliss and tranquillity. Come let us discover the true meaning of Yoga.

Stretching hands and legs is not Yoga,

Breathing exercises too are just a myth.

When will we overcome our ignorance,

And all the myth that go with it?

SUMMARY CHAPTER 1 : The Myth called Yoga
CHAPTER 2: What is the True meaning of Yoga

The word Yoga comes from the word Yuj which literally means Union. The actual meaning of Yoga is the Union of a human being with the Divine. It implies the unification of our Soul with the Divine Cosmic Universal Soul. Yoga is all about being ever-connected with the Divine. It is a rare state which carries with it the gift of eternal joy and everlasting peace.

Have you noticed how a SIM card is always connected with the network? Wherever we go, our mobile phone is connected to the satellite. This is a simple example of a good union. Yoga calls for us to be ever-connected with the Divine, but does this happen? Unfortunately, we are so connected with the illusionary earthly sentiments that our heavenly connection is disrupted. Yoga is both an art and science of being ever-united with the Divine. This is easier said than done and we must work hard to acquire the state of being a true Yogi, one who lives in Yoga, ever-united with the Cosmic Consciousness.

Yoga is being in union with the Divine. It is being connected to our source. Any human being can be in Yoga. All they have to do is to disconnect from the world and connect to the Creator. This is not very easy to do. Therefore, Yoga is considered to be a challenging practice. Yoga, for the true lover of God, is all about living with devotion and prayer, being connected with the Divine. Yoga for some may be seeing God in the poor and the downtrodden. For some, it may be seeing God in animals and being compassionate, loving, and kind. Still, others do Yoga through meditation and contemplation. Whatever be the method of Yoga, as long as it builds a connection, and unites us with the Divine, it is Yoga.

Normally, we human beings live in Bhoga, instead of Yoga. Instead of being united with the Divine, we are slaves of our own cravings that seek to indulge in sensory pleasures, Bhoga. Yoga is transcending the pleasure of body and mind, as it involves living with a strong connection with the Divine, thus experiencing Divine ecstasy and Bliss.

Yoga is a connection between an individual Soul and the Universal Soul. It is Union of the energy within us with the Cosmic Energy. It comprises several actions that ultimately help us to be liberated from the body-mind complex and to become one with the Divine.

It is unfortunate that people have confused Yoga with Asana and Pranayama. These are just two tiny fragments of the overall Yogic practice but they dominate the understanding of the term Yoga. For a seeker on a spiritual journey, what is the true meaning of Yoga? We human beings are so engrossed in the material world that we are lost in this race to become an ace, in a chase for material possessions. It is sad that we get caught in the maze and we suffer. Yoga is all about slowing down our pace and living with grace. What does this mean?

Every human being wants to be happy. For this, people chase success and achievement. Although they are successful, they are not content. Their desires make them miserable. Then they go to God to solve their problems. Sometimes prayer works and sometimes it doesn't. A true Yogi's life, however, is very different. A Yogi, one who is always in a state of Yoga, is a person of Realization. He realizes that we are not the body and mind but rather the Divine Soul. The Yogi lives with this Realization in Yoga or in Divine union with the Cosmic Consciousness. Far more than any physical and any mental discipline, the Yogi spends his life in several spiritual practices that help him remain in Yoga or in Divine union.

How does one become a true Yogi? When our individual consciousness unites with the Universal consciousness, that is called being in a state of Yoga. This starts with a quest of realizing the truth of who we truly are and why we are here. Once we achieve this state of self-Realization, transcending body-mind-ego, then we are qualified to remain in Yoga or in Divine Union. As long we don't realize the Truth, that we are not this ego, mind, and body, it is very difficult to be in Yoga. To achieve this state one has to realize the Truth and be liberated from the prison of the body-mind complex.

Very few people, probably less than 1% of the world's population, understand the true meaning of Yoga. They are the ones who pay more attention to uniting with the Divine than on Asanas or Pranayama, just physical exercises and breathing techniques. They realize that true Yoga is more about spiritual practice than about physical and mental wellbeing.

Why is it that the world gives so much importance to physical postures and breath control? This is because human beings believe that we are the body-mind complex. We also believe that this Yoga or Union of body, mind, and Soul will give us that most needed peace and tranquillity that we seek. Our goal is happiness and we believe that Yoga is the way to peace and joy. Both, our understanding of our life goal and the solution that we choose, are wrong. Our ultimate goal of life is to realize the Truth and be liberated from the cycle of death and rebirth. Our goal is to live without misery, sorrow, and suffering as long as we are alive in this body. Yoga is the way to achieve this ultimate goal and to be liberated, both, from misery and sorrow while we are alive, as well as from the cycle of death and rebirth, once the physical body dies.

True Yoga actually calls for us to go beyond the body and mind, very different from what the world considers it to be. Worldly Yoga gets us entangled in body-mind exercises, while true Yoga makes us focus on spiritual exercises that will ultimately help us unite with the Divine.

Yoga is about realizing that this body is not our true identity, not about becoming a champion in strengthening and lengthening our body muscle. For this, we have to go beyond the two limbs of Yoga, Asana and Pranayama, which are part of the 8 limbs of the Patanjali Hatha Yoga, we must discover the holistic Yogic experience that covers all the 8 limbs of Yoga. This will help us to understand the true meaning of Yoga and will make us transcend the ego, mind, and body to achieve that state of being a true Yogi.

Does Yoga involve controlling of the breath? The real purpose of controlling the breath is to control the mind. True Yoga addresses this by realizing the futility of the mind and how it roots us into this world of illusions. Yoga helps one go beyond samsara, desires of this world, by transcending the mind.

Those who are fortunate to understand the true meaning of Yoga, realize that we are not the body that we seem to wear but rather the ones who wear the body. They realize that we are not the mind, the mind is just an illusion and it stops us both from being in Yoga and from realizing the Truth. They also realize that we are not the Ego that keeps saying "I." It is the Ego that says "this is mine," and focuses on "my relationships" that stops the seeker from his destination. These few rare seekers who are fortunate to understand that they are the Divine Soul. This realization helps them start their Yogic journey. As a true Yogi, they go beyond physical exercise and breath control, beyond the wellbeing of the body and mind, and become conscious of their true existence as the Soul. They realize that their ultimate goal is to unite with the Divine. This is a state of true Yoga which the world is far from understanding.

Yoga, therefore, is the means to achieve our ultimate goal - liberation, salvation or enlightenment. It has nothing to do with what the world thinks of Yoga. It is about self-Realization through the transcending of ego, mind, and body. Thereafter, it is about using techniques like meditation to remain in that state of cosmic consciousness. There are various ways that a true Yogi remains in this state of being ever united and it is not easy for a common man to achieve this state of Yoga.

Once we understand the true meaning of Yoga, then we can try to start the journey of realizing the truth and being in the state of true Yoga, a state that will make us both Blissful and Peaceful. Most of the world thinks that their goal is happiness instead of realizing that our true goal is liberation and this liberation can be achieved only through Yoga. Not through physical exercises and breath control, but by being in a state of Divine Union with the Universal, Divine Cosmic Consciousness.

Yoga is not the union of body, mind, and Soul,

When the Soul unites with the Divine,

that fulfills the true Yogic Goal.
SUMMARY CHAPTER 2 : What is the True meaning of Yoga
CHAPTER 3: Why Yoga is important

Yoga is very important because it is the only way for us to achieve our ultimate goal, Liberation from misery and sorrow, also known as Moksha, Mukti, Nirvana or Enlightenment. Yoga helps us unite with the Divine and thereby, blesses us with a life of peace and tranquillity.

Once united with the Divine, Yoga blesses us to live a life without fear, regret, worry, tension, and anxiety. It helps us live a life of complete Surrender, accepting the Divine Will, realizing that life on earth is just a cosmic show. We come and we go.

Yoga is the way to transcend ego, mind, and body. It helps us overcome the ignorance in which we live. Most people live a life of myth due to the cosmic illusion called Maya. Being in union helps transcend Maya, overcome ignorance as it busts the myth and reveals the truth.

We human beings are unable to see beyond a point. We see the projections on this earth plane but we don't see the Divinity that is behind it.

A student of Yoga once asked his Master, when they were about to go for a spiritual movie, "Why is it that the world misunderstands Yoga and doesn't see the Divine truth?" As the movie was playing, the master asked the student, "What do you see?" The student replied, "I see monks praying." He was again questioned, "What do you see behind that?" He replied, "I see the monasteries." The master again asked, "What do you see beyond that?" He replied, "I see mountains." He was asked again, "What else do you see?" He said, "I see the sky and the clouds and nothing else!"

Just then, the movie was paused for an intermission and the Master asked the student, "What do you see now?" In response, the student said, "I see nothing, just a blank screen."

Then explained the Master, "Because we are not in Yoga, we see all the illusory projections in this world, but we don't realize the Truth behind. We are so much in 'Bhoga', or indulgence in the passion that we are unable to see beyond and realize the Divine Truth."

Yoga is the way to Live with the Realization of the truth. Just like the student was ignorant till he saw the screen, and then he realized that whatever he saw was just a projection, we human beings need Yoga to overcome Maya or the cosmic illusion. We tend to believe everything happening in this world is real. We forget that this is transitory, because in the end, when we face death, nothing is real, nothing belongs to us, nobody is truly ours. Yoga blesses the true Yogi to remain in a state of consciousness, awake, aware and conscious of the Divine truth. Yoga helps overcome the ignorance of our dreamlike existence.

Suppose, in our dream, our neighbour borrows one million from us. When we wake up, will we go ask him for that one million? Definitely not! We know that it was only a dream. Unfortunately, we human beings think that the dream is only a dream, but whatever happens in our waking state is real. Yoga helps a Yogi understand that even what is happening in this waking world is transitory like a dream. In the end, when it is "Game over," nothing matters! Yoga helps achieve this state of Realization. As children we often played the board game 'Monopoly' where we bought certain stations and built hotel and homes, collecting cash. But in the end, we put everything back in the box because it was only a game.

Yoga helps us understand that the game of life is not real. It is just like a drama, a puppet show, a movie or theatre. Those who do not realize the truth about Yoga, fight with each other, even kill each other out of sheer ignorance. It is only the realized Yogi, who understands the true meaning, the importance of Yoga, and who uses Yoga to achieve the ultimate goal of life, liberation, and unification with the Divine.

Yoga helps us realize the Truth, that we are not the body or the mind that we seem to be. We are the Divine Soul. When we are conscious of our reality and are in union or Yoga with the Divine, we are able to transcend the ego, mind, and body and have that intuitive experience of who we truly are. Yoga works in two ways. First, it helps us realize the Truth, and for the Divine Soul who has realized the Truth, it helps in being liberated. Without Yoga, neither realization nor liberation is possible.

The fact is that we are embodied Souls, not the body or mind. The physical body will die and return to dust. Even science believes that a human being may look like physical matter, but in reality, we are nothing but energy. There is energy in the millions of cells that constitute the human body. However, we are ignorant of who we truly are. We think we are the mind, but where is the mind we cannot find. We can find our nose, our eyes, our ears and we can also see x-rays of our heart, kidney, and brain. But nobody has seen the mind. We are embodied Souls and it is through Yoga that we become conscious about it. Being conscious, Yoga further helps us unite with the Divine and achieve our ultimate goal of life, liberation.

Without Yoga, our life is full of ignorance. We live under the spell of Maya or the cosmic illusion, thinking we are the body and mind. True Yoga creates Enlightenment that wipes out the darkness of ignorance that sweeps our life. A Yogi overcomes the ignorance, just as he watches Maya in its Divine play as a cosmic drama making a true Yogi blissful, no matter what. When we live in Yoga, then we realize the Truth that we are the Divine Soul as our Soul connects with the Cosmic Consciousness.

Yoga helps us live fearlessly because it is about uniting with the Divine. When there is such a powerful Divine connection, then where is the necessity to worry and be anxious about anything?

Therefore, Yoga is the key to achieving our Ultimate Goal, Liberation, Moksha or Nirvana. However, as we have already understood, Yoga is not about physical exercises or breathing techniques. This is not Yoga in any way. Yoga is a difficult discipline because it calls for us to use our intellect to control the mind from its constant wandering, from its constant jumping like a monkey, from one thought to another till we make it into a silent monk. Yoga is also about controlling the senses of the body which constantly desire and crave. True Yoga deactivates the passion of the senses through discrimination, dispassion, and renunciation.

Once the practice of Yoga starts, then it accelerates to take a true Yogi to reach the ultimate goal of liberation. This, however, starts with Purification and then goes on to Illumination. Once Yoga creates liberation, then we reach the ultimate phase of unification with the Divine.

Yoga is not a game,

Misunderstanding it is a shame.

It is the Divine Union of the Soul,

That is our life's Ultimate Goal.

SUMMARY CHAPTER 3 : Why Yoga is important

CHAPTER 4: Purification, Illumination, and Unification

Having clarified the myths and misunderstandings about Yoga, it is now time to discover the Truth. By now, we are absolutely clear about what Yoga is NOT. Now, it is time to be clear about what Yoga IS.

Yoga is about being in union with the Divine. It is about being ever-conscious of our real self, the Soul and being always connected with the Universal Divine Consciousness.

For the common man, this seems complicated. If you show him a sweater and ask him what it is, he will look at it, touch it, feel it and say it is a sweater. This is because he is not paying attention to the reality, that it is wool. It may have been knitted like a sweater and because we wear it, we call it a sweater, but in reality, it is only wool. Our first challenge is to be Conscious of who we truly are. Only then is it possible for us to be in Yoga, to unite with the Divine.

The yogic process can be easily divided into 3 steps. It starts with Purification, followed by Illumination and finally Unification with the Divine. A true seeker must first understand these 3 steps to make Yoga effective in his Life.

The first step is Purification. This calls for Purification of the body, mind, and ego. Unless we purify the 3 elements which imprison us as an embodied Soul, we will not realize the truth. The body is purified by transcending the 5 senses - our sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. We human beings are constantly creating desires. This craving creates a passionate connection with sensual pleasures and we start craving for earthly possessions. This disconnects us from the Divine.

If I am standing on your left and I ask you to look at me and at the very same time, I ask you to look at a tree on your right, can you see both at the same time? You can't! Either you can look left, at me or right, at the tree. So, it is with Yoga. Either we can be connected with the world or we can be connected with the Divine. As long as our senses are deeply rooted in sensory pleasures, our body will be controlled by these alluring elements. How do we switch, change and choose the Divine? It is through Purification. It starts with Discrimination and making the right choices. Without Discrimination we will choose the myth over the Truth, wrong over right and we will not be able to purify ourselves to be in Yoga, in Divine Union.

Purification also happens when we live a life of Dispassion and Detachment. As long as we are passionate about worldly things, we are slaves to this passion. It may be name and power, it may be wealth and wine, it may be lust and sex, or even food and pleasure. Unless the body is detached from such cravings, it is difficult to achieve a state of body purification. It must be clarified that this does not mean that we have to give up everything to be in Yoga. Seekers often misunderstand this. What it means is that we should not be slaves to our passion. We can live a normal life even enjoying some of these pleasures, but the moment we are passionate about these and we crave for them, we are unable to be in Yoga.

Once we transcend the body's cravings through Discrimination and Dispassion, we have to Discipline the mind. The mind is a rascal. It is constantly producing thoughts. Like a monkey, it jumps from one thought to another. It doesn't let us be still and peaceful. These thoughts are largely toxic. They create fear, worry, anxiety, anger and other negative emotions which destroy our state of Yoga or being united with the Divine. We have to purify the mind. First, we must silence it and reduce our MTR – Mental Thought Rate. We do this by silence, meditation, focus, and contemplation. Once we do this, we once again use Discrimination to destroy those thoughts that are poisonous, thoughts that make us regret the past, and thoughts that make us worry about the future, robbing us of this Divine moment called the 'Present'. Yoga is all about being in the present moment, being in the NOW. But unless we purify the mind and make the jumping monkey into a monk, we cannot achieve the state of Yoga. This calls for a lot of restraint and self-discipline.

Both purification of the body by controlling our senses and purification of the mind by disciplining thoughts are absolutely essential to move to the next step, Illumination. This, however, is not complete until we transcend the ego. The ego is the fugitive that constantly steals our peace and bliss. The ego constantly murmurs "I" and portrays a false identity of who we are. Then, with the "my"-ness and "mine"-ness, the ego wires us and deeply entangles us in the illusory world. This destroys the possibility of Yoga. Unless the ego switches from desiring self-gratification to desiring self-Realization, we will continue to live with impure thoughts, feelings, and actions and be bound to the world, without being able to be in true Yoga.

Using Discrimination, Dispassion, Discipline, and Desire for Realization, we can purify the body, the mind, and the ego and be in a state of Yoga. However, just as we can be in a state of Yoga, we can be out of it in a moment if we are ignorant of the truth. To remain in Yoga, Realization of the truth is paramount. Without Realization, we will be swinging from the truth to the myth all the time.

Realization of the Truth is Illumination. It is that second step that will lead us into a state of Yoga. Of course, it is not possible without Purification of body, mind, and ego. But just as purification is important, there must be Illumination.

We live in the darkness of ignorance, not knowing the light of Truth. We are able to see the sweater but unable to see the wool. This darkness is caused by the ego, mind, and body, and therefore, the importance of first purifying them cannot be underplayed. But unless we realize the truth, there can be no Illumination and we cannot experience the true state of Yoga.

Illumination is the Realization that we are Energy, not the matter that we seem to be. We seem to be a body with bone and skin, but in reality, we are the ones who live within. Because of darkness, we can't see the Truth.

There was an old woman who once lost her diamond ring. As she was crying and looking for it outside her door on the street, several neighbours joined her in her search, all looking for her lost diamond ring but nobody could find it. They asked her many questions about how big it was, what was the metal, but nobody could find the ring. Finally, one intelligent neighbour asked her, "Where exactly did you drop the ring?" She instantly replied, "I am sure I dropped it inside the house." Then he questioned, "Why are you looking for it outside on the street?" She told him, "You don't understand, there is no light inside my house."

Just like this old woman, we live a life without the light of knowledge and therefore, we search for the Truth in the wrong place. There is no Illumination of the Truth in our life. Illumination comes with Realization. If we want to realize the truth, we must go on a quest or a search. We must ask questions and investigate until we realize the Truth.

Realization is not just knowledge, but much more than that. The moment we realize the Truth, there is illumination, a Divine glow, that in reality, we are not the ego, mind or body. We are the Divine Soul.

Realization can sometimes take a lifetime, sometimes many lifetimes. It is not a gift for the masses. Illumination happens only when a true seeker remains in Yoga. But here what we are saying is that for Yoga to happen, there must be Illumination. A seeker can sometimes get confused as to what comes first, Illumination or Yoga. They both are cyclic in nature, with Yoga leading to Illumination and Illumination leading to Yoga. One must have some basic Illumination, some basic Realization to be in Yoga. Otherwise, one will be performing Asana and Pranayama, busy in physical exercises and breathing techniques and think they are doing Yoga. There must be a basic Realization that Yoga is the Divine Union of the Soul with the Cosmic Consciousness. We must know that that we are not the body and the mind and thus, we purify the ego, mind, and body, to be in that Soulful state which is pure.

Once there is Purification and Illumination, then there will be Unification. Yoga is a discipline, it is a practice; it is a process. For a genuine seeker, Yoga ultimately happens. When we have pure love for the Divine and our purpose is to realize the truth, then Yoga is not so difficult. The 3 steps of Purification, Illumination and Unification will happen naturally for a true Yogi. However, a true Yogi must be conscious of these 3 steps to be in Yoga. Being in Yoga is ultimately being in Union with the Divine. With an impure ego, mind, and body, living with the darkness of ignorance, Yoga is not possible.

There are many who put on a show of being in Yoga. They are not true Yogis. In India, where Yoga was founded, many appear to be Yogis – they have long beards and hair that flows to their hips. They wear white or orange robes, carry spiritual objects like beads and have ash smeared on their foreheads. They even chant certain mantras or spiritual words, but these are not the signs of a true Yogi. If one wants to discover the Truth about Yoga, then one must not get carried away by outer appearances. One must realize that true Yoga is Union of the Soul with the Divine. Only this Realization can help one be a true Yogi, enjoying the blissful state of Yoga.

Yoga starts with Purification,

Then there is Illumination,

The ultimate Goal is Unification,

And this happens with Realization.

SUMMARY CHAPTER 4: Purification, illumination, and unification

CHAPTER 5: Who is a True Yogi

If one truly wants to discover Yoga, then one must be a true Yogi. Who is a Yogi? A Yogi is one who lives in constant Yoga, Union with the Divine. Is this even possible? Actually, it is impossible! How can one be a true Yogi? The simple aspiration of being in Yoga, of living a life of Purification, seeking Illumination and desiring Unification, are the hallmarks of a true Yogi. Just referring to oneself as a Yogi doesn't make somebody a Yogi. In fact, it is very difficult to know who is a true Yogi because only the one who is in true Yoga experiencing the Divine Union feels this blessing of being a true Yogi. For a true Yogi, it hardly matters what the world thinks. He is not a practitioner of worldly Yoga, nor does he wear the garb of a sanyasi or renunciate. The true Yogi is in a state of Bliss, far above the shackles of this world.

A true Yogi is aware of Yoga and how it is the way to achieve Liberation, our ultimate goal of Life. Very few of us realize that our ultimate goal is Liberation from this world and Unification with the Divine. We all seek Happiness as our Life goal and at most, we seek to be liberated from misery and suffering.

Can a human being escape suffering? We all realize that we suffer as the ego, mind, and body, but a true Yogi transcends this. He is Illuminated with the Realization that he is not the body-mind complex, nor can the ego make him sink in the world. He is so united with the Divine, that although he is embodied in a body-mind complex, he lives as the Divine Soul. A true Yogi knows he cannot escape from action and thus he doesn't try to do so. There are people in this world who try to renounce the world itself, but this is not possible as long as we are alive. A Yogi balances his life so that he enjoys freedom in action not freedom from it. Although he lives like a normal human being, he has complete control of his ego, mind, and body.

We, human beings are like a chariot with 5 wild horses. These 5 horses are our senses. Unless we have a strong mind to control these 5 horses, like reins that keep the 5 horses of the chariot under control, our 5 senses make us go wild with passion and cravings and we lose control of the chariot, our life.

The Yogi controls both his mind and his 5 senses, the reins and the 5 horses of his chariot, as the charioteer of his life. He is in complete command, despite circumstances. To him, this world is Maya, a cosmic illusion. It is like a theatre, a drama or a show. We are just actors, we come and we go. Normal human beings get entangled in this show called life, but the Yogi lives as an observer, unaffected by the cosmic drama that is being enacted on planet earth.

Living as a charioteer with complete control of his ego, mind, and body, living as an observer of this drama on earth, the Yogi is peaceful and blissful, knowing he is a manifestation of the Divine and is constantly connected with the Divine. He lives in the present moment, conscious of the NOW, in Yoga, in Union, enjoying the Peace and the Bliss, as he has realized the Truth.

This Realization not only liberates him from petty annoyances, like fear, worry, anger and anxiety, but it also ultimately liberates him from a possible rebirth and the possible recurrent suffering we human beings experience as we live on earth. This, however, is not possible with every practitioner of Yoga. Even though we may know what true Yoga is, we cannot be liberated from suffering, until there is a Divine union of our Soul with the Divine.

A true Yogi is like a good SIM card, that is constantly connected with the satellite, never losing its network connection. What happens to our mobile phone when we go out of our network area? We are said to be in a roaming network and our SIM card starts searching for network partners. It starts pinging all available networks to connect and be online. A true Yogi does not roam like this SIM card. Wherever the Yogi goes and whatever the Yogi does, his Divine network doesn't get disconnected. He is always in Union with the Divine.

All this is possible because a Yogi who has experienced Illumination lives with Detachment and Dispassion. He renounces pleasures and cravings which offer temporary pleasure and enjoys everlasting bliss and peace. He does not seek happiness but is always in a state of bliss. A Yogi is not a slave to the pleasures of the senses, to the body and mind. He has transcended such desires, initially, through his Discrimination, but as he evolves, his Divine Union is unaffected by these worldly attractions and distractions.

We must be clear that every Yogi doesn't become a true Yogi. There are various stages in a Yogic journey. Once a seeker understands the myth about Yoga, and starts his journey to discover the truth, he starts the Yogic experience of life. He tries to remain in Yoga, in Divine Union, but he is constantly disturbed by his own ego, mind, and body. He uses the power of his intellect to Discriminate every thought, calmly and Peacefully. Along with this, he creates several disciplines that keep his ego, mind, and body under his control. Normal human beings get carried away by cravings of the body and desires of the mind. But the Yogi remains unaffected. He continues to enjoy his Peace and Bliss, being united with the Divine, although all around him, there is turmoil.

Every seeking Yogi who seeks to become a true Yogi, experiences this war within. It is Yoga that helps him kill his mind, control his body and transcend his Ego. First, the seeker tries to remain in Yoga, then Yoga helps the seeker realize the truth. Unless we attempt to be in true Yoga, not just through physical exercises and breath control, unless we spend time in silence and introspect, contemplate, renounce worldly cravings and seek the Divine, we cannot evolve on the Yogic journey.

A true Yogi who is advanced in his state of Yoga is not just liberated from misery and sorrow as he lives on earth, he is liberated from taking rebirth as his Soul unites with the Divine. This only happens when a true Yogi lives in constant Yoga, experiencing the oneness with the Divine.

Those who are trying to get to this ultimate point, continue their efforts of renouncing cravings, discriminating thoughts, living with detachment from possessions and things and disciplining the mind and body.

A true Yogi is always seeking the Divine and nothing else. He has realized the Truth about life. And while he lives with peace and joy, he overcomes the slavery that enslaves and imprisons a normal human being. Transcending the desires of this material world, a true Yogi lives in Yoga. He is constantly connected with the Divine, with the ultimate goal of Liberation. He seeks nothing else and being a true Yogi, his Yoga leads him to Liberation.

Who is a true Yogi?

One who is united with the Divine,

Who has transcended cravings of the body and mind,

Overcoming the desire for Women, Wealth and Wine.

SUMMARY CHAPTER 5 : Who is a True Yogi

## Chapter 6: THE FOUR WAYS TO LIVE IN YOGA

How does one live in Yoga? How does one become a true Yogi? Over the centuries, those who have realized the true meaning of Yoga have prescribed four ways to live in Yoga, in Divine Union.

  1. ## Discrimination

  2. ## Dispassion or detachment

  3. ## Discipline of body and mind

  4. ## Desire for the Divine and Liberation

Discrimination : For one to be in Yoga, one has to live a life of Discrimination, referred to by the sages as Vivek. What does this mean? The mind is constantly producing thoughts, up to 50,000 thoughts a day. These thoughts make us sink in the Bhoga of Samsara, the sensual pleasures of this world. As such, it is impossible to be in Yoga. What is the solution?

## For one to Discriminate, one has to activate their intellect, the faculty that discriminates every thought and decides what is right and what is wrong. When our intellect takes charge of our mind, then no thought is executed into action without first being filtered by the intellect. To live in Yoga is to live with Discrimination. In normal human beings, the intellect is weak and does not discriminate every thought. Thus, it becomes difficult to be in Yoga or Union because one is constantly sinking in the ocean of worldly thoughts. Therefore, the first way to be in Yoga is to live with Discrimination.

## Prakash had a dormant intellect. His mind was king. Whenever he saw wine or whiskey, his mind would be attracted and he would soon be intoxicated. Once intoxicated, he would lose his power to make the right decisions in whatever he did. Instead of being the master, he became the slave. He could never live in Yoga.

Living in Yoga means being a Stithpragya, one with a steady intellect. If one doesn't use this God-given gift that each one of us has, the Intellect, then we will fail to Discriminate and sink in the miseries of this world. Though they appear to be pleasures on the outside, they are poison in the inside.

Dispassion or detachment : The second way to live in Yoga is to be Dispassionate and detached, known to the sages as Vairagya. How is this possible? We are all connected to our family, friends and society. How can we detach from the world?

A true Yogi doesn't try to run away from the world, but being in the world, he is internally detached. He is not attached to his possessions and people that he is connected with. On the outside, he appears to be a normal human being, but deep within he lives with Detachment, Disconnected from the world and Connected with the Divine.

## To be detached, one has to live with Dispassion. The moment we are passionate, and we desire and crave, we become a slave to our own passions. If one wants to live in Yoga, one has to live Dispassionately, and Detached from the attachments of this world so that one can be free to unite with the Divine.

## Ajay was very passionate about his success. But he also wanted to live in Yoga and experience the peace and bliss of a spiritual life. His Guru or spiritual master advised him not to start another business when he successfully wound up his old business in which he had made millions, far more than what he needed. It was an ideal time for Ajay to transform his life. However, being passionate about being successful, Ajay started another big business. His passion led him to become a slave of his desire. How could he achieve the ultimate goal of Yoga?

If we want to be in Yoga, we must douse the flames of passion that will consume our desire for Yoga. (IMPROVE SENTENCE)

Discipline of Body and Mind : To live in Yoga, one needs perfect Discipline of body and mind. The sages called this Sat Sampad and prescribed disciplines that included Shama, Dama, Uparati, Titiksha, Shraddha and Samadhana. To simplify the prescription and understand it, one needs a perfect discipline of body and mind to be in Yoga.

We human beings are said to be like a chariot with 5 horses. The 5 horses are the 5 senses that we are blessed with. The reigns of the horses is our mind. We, the Divine Soul, are the charioteer. To Discipline our life, we must take charge of the 5 senses through controlling the mind. If we don't, then our 5 senses will behave like 5 wild horses and destroy our peace and bliss. We must discipline both our body and mind through Sadhana or spiritual Discipline. This is not easy and it takes time to develop such Discipline, but without Discipline, one cannot live a life of Yoga.

## Control of the body and control of the mind makes us live like a tortoise that has a protective shell. Whenever enemies attack, it withdraws within and protects itself. Such is the way to live. Discipline creates Forbearance, Faith and Fortitude, key elements to be in Yoga.

Desire for the Divine and Liberation : The sages called this Mumukshutva. We human beings are not able to be in Yoga because we Desire and crave for worldly possessions. We fall in love with people, knowing very well that these relationships are temporary. Our ignorance makes us love an illusion and we fail to love the Divine. We fail to crave for Liberation.

## There was once a prince. He was over 30 years old and the king and queen were very worried because he had not liked a single girl and thus, had remained unmarried. One day, as he was searching for some treasure in the attic of the palace, his eye fell upon the painting of a very beautiful maiden. It looked like she was in her early teens. But he instantly fell in love with her. When he looked closely at the painting, it was dated nearly over 15 years back. He decided he will marry this girl and nobody else. He took the picture and asked the ministers of the kingdom to find this girl. A search was conducted but this girl was nowhere to be found. The news reached the Queen. Obviously, she was keen to get the Prince married and called for the picture. She was aghast when she saw the painting. "Oh my God, this is the Prince itself", she said.

## Several years ago, a play was being performed in the palace and they could not find a pretty maid. So the queen had dressed up the Prince as a gorgeous little girl for the drama. This painting was painted at that time.

## The Prince was getting very disappointed that they could not find the girl and the Queen did not want to break his heart by revealing the truth. The advisor of the King was a wise man. He took the picture to the Prince and revealed the truth. He said, "This painting is 'you', my dear Prince." The Prince had a hearty laugh. How could he marry himself? His despair disappeared when he realized the truth. The Prince overcame his ignorance and smiled at his love for himself, the pretty Princess in the painting, who was none other than he himself.

We too need a wise man to help us overcome the illusion. We need a spiritual master who will lead us to Yoga, making us realize that the love in this world is not eternal. If we are fortunate to become Mumukshus, then our Desire for the Divine and for Liberation will lead us to live a life of Yoga.

## If one wants to live in Yoga, if one wants to be a true Yogi, if one wants to achieve the Ultimate Goal of life - Liberation, one must follow the 4 steps which are pre-requisites for being in Yoga and for being liberated.

We need to open 4 doors,

That will lead us to Liberation.

It starts with Discrimination and Dispassion,

And ends with Desire for the Divine and Liberation.

CHAPTER 7: Yoga leads to Liberation

Yoga is Union with the Divine. It is a state of being liberated while alive. One who lives with Yoga experiences a calm, a Peace that makes one Blissful. The ultimate goal of Yoga, however, is Moksha or liberation.

What does Yoga do? It makes us conscious of our Divine self. It connects the embodied Soul to the Cosmic Divine. There are many benefits of Yoga.

Yoga helps us to transcend the ego, mind, and body, making us realize that we are the Divine Soul. Doing so, it liberates us from all pain and suffering of the body and stress and anxiety of the mind. A person who practices Yoga is alive within the body. The body may suffer, but the Yogi doesn't. The Yogi may experience the pain of the body, but being in Yoga transcends it.

Yoga makes us overcome all kinds of fear. One who is in Divine Union is unaffected by the trials and tribulations of life in this world. Being in Yoga, the Yogi is able to kill the mind before the mind kills him. Negative thoughts from the mind, targeted at a Yogi, return as if they are hitting at a bullet proof surface. Eventually, Yoga tames the mind to become silent. Thereafter, one experiences a Yogic Peace that becomes a fountain of Joy.

Yoga also transcends the Ego which otherwise constantly causes suffering. A Yogi transcends arrogance, living with humility, realizing that we are all nothing. We are just a manifestation of the Divine. Yoga makes us live as the Soul, not as the body-mind that we seem to be.

As Yoga unites us with the Divine, it also triggers our superconscious – a state of consciousness that communicates with the Universal Consciousness. A trigged superconscious acts as a tele-receiver, transmitting and receiving messages which are Divine and beyond. The superconscious is capable of creativity, sixth sense, intuition, hunches, and telepathy, unknown to the common man. However, a true Yogi uses his superconscious power not to perform supernatural acts but to move towards the ultimate goal of Liberation.

When we are in Yoga, we live with the realization of the Truth. This can be considered as the primary benefit of being in Yoga. As a realized Soul, we experience the Divine everywhere. We experience the Divine manifesting as the beautiful sunrise or sunset, as the clouds in the sky, the enchanting birds, the exotic fish and beautiful flowers. Yoga makes us realize that all this is a manifestation of the Divine. Even the people who we love are seen as Divine Souls. If the Divine departs from all these beautiful manifestations, there is no beauty left. It is the Divine that creates the beauty. Yoga makes us experience this.

Therefore, a Yogi lives in Peace and Joy, without being affected by anything or anybody. He views this world to be nothing more than a cosmic drama and he lives doing the Divine Will, till he is finally liberated and unified with the Divine. He doesn't see himself to be a wave separate from the ocean of existence. Yoga makes him experience oneness with the ocean. It makes him realize that he comes from it and goes into it. Yoga makes the Yogi an observer of this Life drama. With Yoga, one doesn't internalize tragedies and hurts, just as one doesn't get over-excited with what is happening on the earth stage. Although we are all actors in the drama called Life, Yoga makes us observers with the realization that nothing is permanent. We all come and go, and soon, it will be the end of the show. While normal people will continue to come back as actors show after show, one who lives in Yoga, realizing the truth, is liberated after the current episode on earth is over. Even though he is an actor on the stage, he has transcended his ego and doesn't consider the actions to be his actions but rather an act which is a part of the Universal storyboard that is unfolding.

Nothing matters to a Yogi except being in union with the Divine. Living as a Yogi, the ultimate goal is liberation from this world, from the possible rebirth due to Karmas. We create Karma as the ego, mind, and body. Everything good or bad that we do is recorded in our account and we are returned good for good and evil for evil. Even after death, our karmic account is said to continue, and when we leave one body, the mind, and ego is reborn in another body. Yoga, however, liberates us from such rebirth. A true Yogi doesn't take ownership of any action. He Surrenders every action to the Divine, living as an instrument, doing nothing by himself or for himself. Therefore, a true Yogi doesn't create any Karmas. Since he has realized that he is not the Ego, mind and body, all his past and carried forward Karma drop like rock salt in the ocean to get dissolved.

A Yogi lives a life dedicated to the Divine, doing the Divine will. Although embodied in a body-mind complex, he is actually liberated in all senses. Whatever the Yogi does, he offers and Surrenders it to the Divine. The Yogi lives a life that comprises Yoga of Action, Yoga of Devotion, Yoga of Education and Yoga of Meditation, till he is ultimately Liberated to be unified with the Divine when he reaches the moment of death of his physical body.

Let us discover the 4 ways of a Yogic Life.

Yoga leads to Liberation,

It frees us from Ego, body and mind,

As we live united with the Divine,

Peace, Joy and Bliss we will find.

SUMMARY CHAPTER 7 : Yoga leads to Liberation

CHAPTER 8 : The 4 ways of a Yogic Life

Yoga calls for a life that encompasses 4 ways to live. A true Yogi spends his entire life in Union with the Divine. Because this is practically impossible, only a handful of people achieve this state of being in true Yoga.

The world in which we live and our mind that controls our thoughts, feelings and actions, together destroy every possible sign of Yoga in our Life. The moment we are in Yoga, either our mind will wander to another thought or our senses will be attracted to the world, destroying the Union with the Divine.

It is said that if somebody can be united with the Divine even for a short period of time, even for a few minutes without being distracted, they can experience the ecstasy of Liberation from all misery just as they feel a deep sense of Peace and Bliss.

There are 4 ways to live a Yogic Life. They are often referred to as Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Gyaana Yoga or Dhyaana Yoga. These terms mean that the 4 ways to live in Yoga are through action, devotion, education or meditation.

A true Yogi tries to live his life in the following way. He starts his day with Dhyaana Yoga or the Yoga of silence, concentration and contemplation. This inspires him to Karma Yoga, certain actions inspired by the Lord. He is relentless in Bhakti Yoga or in his devotion and prayers to God, in spending time with God. Any free time he gets thereafter is spent in Gyaana Yoga or education for the Realization of the truth. Yoga is all about living with this Yogic philosophy. Other than these 4 ways, there is no other way to Live for a true Yogi. Anything else other than this is a waste of his time and life. A true Yogi understands that his purpose of life is Liberation. He has realized the truth of who he is not and therefore, who he truly is. Having realized the truth, the only way for him to achieve his ultimate objective is to live in Yoga, following the 4 prescribed ways to live.

  1. Dhyaana Yoga – the Yoga of meditation. A true Yogi spends his life in Dhyaana, which literally means concentration, focus, attention and contemplation. It starts with silence. It calls for shutting off all our 5 body senses. It also calls for shutting off the mind. This is very difficult because the mind is like a monkey, it jumps from thought to thought. Even if we sit in a Yogic posture, with all our 5 senses switched off, it is practically impossible to switch off the mind. The moment we try to go into complete silence, there is one common possibility – we fall asleep.

Yoga of meditation or Dhyaana is not about sleeping. It is about being awake while we seem asleep. It is about being conscious, awake and aware of our true reality. The Divine Soul in us, during spells of Dhyaana Yoga, gets connected with the Universal Cosmic Soul and there is transfer of superconscious energy.

These moments of silence or Dhyaana help in many ways. First it brings Peace of mind by slowing down the production of thoughts. As it reduces thoughts, toxic energy that comes from fear, regret, worry, anxiety and other negative thoughts cease to exist in that moment. At this point when one is in Dhyaana Yoga, silent and conscious, with their super consciousness united with the Cosmic consciousness, one receives Divine messages which become a command for their life.

A true Yogi spends a lot of time in Dhyaana Yoga. He starts his day in contemplation and every now and then, even though it may for a brief moment, be it a minute or two every hour, he slips into Dhyaana Yoga so as to recharge his spiritual battery. The moment a Yogi needs direction, he closes his eyes and goes within. Without Dhyaana Yoga, there can be no Yoga. Some Yogic masters refer to this Yoga as Raja Yoga or the King of Yoga.

Once a Yogi finishes his spell of meditation, contemplation or Dhyaan, then what? If he has a clear direction from the Divine that appears as an intuition, Realization or telepathic thought, he gets into action.

  2. Karma Yoga \- the Yoga of Action. Inspired by his spiritual silence, and the Divine communication received, a true Yogi gets into action. Unlike what people think, a Yogi does more work than any ordinary person. He acts as the instrument of the Divine and exceutes the Divine Will with total devotion and dedication.

Once he has a clear mission, the Yogi starts his Karma Yoga or Yoga of action. Not for a moment does the Yogi think that he is doing anything. He realizes that he is nothing. He is not the Ego, mind or body. He is the Divine Life Energy, the Soul, the Chi, the Prana or the Atman that flows in each of the about 37 trillion cells that seem to form his physical body. As a human being embodied in this body-mind complex, the true Yogi remains in Union or Yoga through his actions. He is conscious of the fact that these are not his actions. He is just acting on behalf of the Divine. He is doing nothing; everything is being done by the Divine. So, at the end, whatever be the result of the action, he offers it back to the Divine as a humble offering from a Yogi who is performing Karma Yoga or the Yoga of action.

Normally, people who are not Yogis, act as the Ego, mind and body. Their actions invoke an equal reaction as per the Law of Karma. This universal law states that what you give is what you get or as you sow, so shall you reap. It is the law of the boomerang that works on the principle, what goes around comes around. Normal human beings are faced with their past Karma in every circumstance of Life, just as their present action causes the Karma for future circumstances. The cycle of Karma goes on and doesn't stop at death. The body dies, but the mind and Ego are reborn to face the previous Karmas that have not been redeemed. However, a Yogi is free from Karma.

Because he is a Karma Yogi, none of his Karma are his Karma. Karma means action, but the Yogi doesn't own any of his actions. Although he acts, he is acting on behalf of the Divine as the Divine instrument, and therefore, he is liberated from Karma. This Liberation from Karma not only liberates him from all suffering of the Ego, mind and body, but also liberates him from a possible future rebirth. Thus, Karma Yoga has a profound meaning in the overall philosophy of Yoga.

What does a Yogi do when he has no direction from the Divine, no work as a Divine instrument? A normal man gets caught in the world of pleasures and possessions, desires and cravings triggered by the Ego, mind and body. But a true Yogi is different. He stays above the world like a beautiful lotus that may seem routed in a dirty pond, but still shines with all its glory and colour, unaffected by the dirt around.

The moment the Yogi is free from Karma Yoga, he may go back into Dhyaana Yoga or may slip into the Yoga of devotion or Bhakti Yoga.

  3. Bhakti Yoga – the Yoga of Devotion. Yoga is all about being in Union with the Divine and the first objective of the Yogi is not to slip into Samsara, the world of illusions. He realizes that there is a cosmic illusion or Maya all around him that drags him into Bhoga or indulgence of sensual pleasures. To overcome Bhoga and be in Yoga, the Yogi spends his time in Bhakti Yoga or the Yoga of devotion.

Bhakti Yoga is Union with the Divine through any form of prayer or devotion. When we are born, as kids, we normally have faith in a personal God. Whatever be our religion and whoever is our God, we Love our God with heart and Soul. Our faith grows stronger into belief and trust, and causes our enthusiasm. We visit temples because of Bhakti or love for God. Normally, the emotion of Bhakti is very strong, born out of Love for the Divine. It grows into a deep passion and obsession, seeking God above everything else.

Bhakti is common, but Bhakti Yoga is not common. Billions around the world have Bhakti or devotion, but not a fraction of them are in Bhakti Yoga. Bhakti Yoga calls for Realization that we are the Divine Soul, not the body that we seem to be. We are none other than the Divine Consciousness that is everywhere. Realization of this when expressed in the form of Bhakti creates a spiritual ecstasy unknown to man. No doubt all this is Bhakti \- performing prayers and rituals, reciting the name of God, singing Bhajans or hymns, but it is doing all this in Union with the Divine that makes us enjoy Bhakti Yoga, with the realization that we are a manifestation of the Divine.

Bhakti Yoga or the Yoga of devotion is magical because it creates that deep longing in an embodied Soul to be liberated and be united with the Divine. It is Bhakti Yoga that craves for the wave to become part of the ocean. Unfortunately, unlike the wave that naturally comes from the ocean and goes back into it, we human beings are prisoners in a body-mind complex, facing Karmas due to our past actions. To be liberated, one of the most effective Yoga's taught by spiritual masters is Bhakti Yoga.

When we love the Divine so intensely and we pray, we even cry in entreaty. This passion for the Divine creates a union that helps us remain in Yoga and finally achieve our ultimate Goal of Liberation. Bhakti Yoga is also a very Joyous experience of a true Yogi. In this Yoga of devotion, a Yogi is so lost in his Union with the Divine, that he transcends the world and its allurements, remaining in a state of Divine Yoga. Some people spend their entire life in Bhakti Yoga. Unfortunately, sometimes, there is a very strong Bhakti, but no Union or Yoga. What is needed is Bhakti Yoga, being united with the Divine, in devotion, with the Realization of truth that the Lord is none other than the Divine Soul, that the Lord is no different from us, that we are nothing but a manifestation of the Divine. Sometimes, we need Bhakti Yoga to lead us into the final step of Yoga, Gyaana Yoga, the Yoga of Education which helps us realize the truth as we gain intuitive wisdom, when in our quest, we are united with the Divine.

  4. Gyaana Yoga – the Yoga of Education. Yoga is not just about being in Union through meditation, action and devotion. We need Education. How else will we realize the truth? Every child that is born must learn to develop their faculty of intelligence. We learn to discriminate between right and wrong, just as we learn to contemplate and build our devotion. However, each human being is covered by a blanket of ignorance, dark ignorance that we must be liberated from. No doubt, we can overcome this darkness by the Yoga of meditation, if we are spiritually inspired by an intuitive experience. We can also overcome this darkness when we serve suffering humanity as a blessing from the Divine due to our Karma Yoga. Another way to overcome this darkness is through our devotion. Our devotion to the Divine can open the doors and enlighten us with the truth. Whatever be the Yoga that triggers our Realization of the truth, it takes the form of Gyaana, or wisdom.

The Yoga of education, wisdom or knowledge, Gyaana Yoga, is a Yoga which uses the intellect to discriminate and realize the truth. A true Yogi who wants to be ever united with the Divine, often spends hours, even days engrossed in the study of scripture. He reads theology and philosophy and tries to discriminate between reality and illusion to realize the truth about our existence, the creation of this universe and the Creator. A true Yogi spends time in Gyaana Yoga till he has the spiritual Aha moment – the Realization of the truth.

What is this Realization all about? Normally it starts with the simple Realization that we are not the body. For this, Gyaana Yoga is needed. Education to understand what the body is, how it is formed, how it deteriorates and dies. Gyaana Yoga is also needed to find the mind. Where is the mind? We can find our toes and our nose, we can find our heart and our brain, but where is the mind we cannot find. Without Gyaana Yoga or yoga of education, we will never realize that the mind is an illusion. Ultimately, Gyaana Yoga makes us realize that we are the Divine Soul. In fact, it is this Yoga that makes us realize that we are nothing, just energy, a manifestation of the Divine. Gyaana is one of the 4 yogas that keeps us constantly united with the Divine.

While there are 4 ways of living in Yoga, Dhyaana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Gyaana Yoga, some masters divide them into 4 separate Yogas, while others think of them as one Yoga, one Union manifesting in 4 different ways. My spiritual Master – Dada J.P. Vaswani, often told me that Yoga is Yoga. It is Union with the Divine. He explained that Bhakti Yoga is no different from Dhyaana Yoga, just as Dhyaana Yoga creates Gyaana yoga. While he spiritually inspired me to the Realization of the truth, he believed that contemplation, action, devotion and education appear as 4 different ways of Yoga or Union, but in reality, it was Yoga itself that was branching in 4 directions. Ultimately, my spiritual master who was himself a realized Soul and has now united with the Divine, after his earthly journey, not only advocated that our goal was Yoga, but himself remained in Union all the time.

Dada spent hours in silence and contemplation, just as he spent a lot of time in devotion and prayer. His entire life was dedicated towards fulfilling the mission of his master and the Divine. He was always in Yoga and if he had nothing to do, he would be seen reading a spiritual book, be it the Bhagwad Gita or scriptures from the east or west.

Yoga is Union with the Divine. Whatever be the Yogic path, if it is helping us build that Divine connection, an uninterrupted Union with the Divine, then that is Yoga. Whatever we do, if our actions do not connect us with our Lord, it is not Yoga. Yoga must make us move like a boat on the river of life. The river may be dirty, but that hardly matters. Our objective is not to sink in it. Staying above the worldly waters, we must flow towards our ultimate goal of Liberation through Yoga, being in union with the Divine.

We can only be in Yoga if we accept the Divine Will, just as we Surrender to it.

Whether it is Yoga of meditation or action,

or it is Yoga of devotion or education,

it is Yoga, if it leads us to Liberation.

SUMMARY CHAPTER 8 : The 4 paths of Yoga
CHAPTER 9 : Surrender and Acceptance

What happens when one lives in Yoga? One has built a connection with the Divine. One has realized that we may be alive in a body-mind complex, but in reality, we are not this. We are the Divine Soul. Therefore, one lives Peacefully and Blissfully. But how does one do that?

Those who realize the truth about Yoga, realize the true challenge of Life. They realize that the way to overcome misery and suffering and be in a state of Bliss and Peace is to live in Yoga. Having realized the Divine truth, they commit to walk in life with the two feet of Acceptance and Surrender.

First, Yoga starts with devotion for God. It evolves beyond breath control and other practices. Then a true Yogi starts living with the 4-fold path. It is Yoga of Meditation or Action, Devotion or Education. Nothing else! While a true Yogi lives in Yoga, what makes him walk on the Yogic path are these two virtues, Acceptance and Surrender.

Yoga and Acceptance : When one is united in Yoga, be it Dhyaana Yoga or Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga or Gyaana Yoga, one is still alive in this world. Yoga or Union with the Divine can be disrupted in a moment if we react to circumstances. Whatever is happening, is unfolding as per a Divine Will. Nothing is happening by chance. Several universal laws govern the universe and circumstances around us are controlled by the law of Karma, the law of action and reaction. Yoga cannot exist without Acceptance. If one continues to regret everything that is happening, then how can one be in Yoga? One can only be in Divine Union if one realizes that the Divine is in command of this cosmic show on earth. One knows beyond doubt that the Divine Will is perfect. Nothing is good or bad though it may appear to be. Yoga calls upon us to accept whatever happens as part of the Divine plan realizing that there is a meaning and purpose in everything that happens. Everything happens for the good, though it may appear as evil. The Divine has a plan which we must Accept and not question. The moment we don't Accept and we wonder, then our Yoga is disconnected. Yoga is about realizing our limited comprehension and the Omnipotence of the Divine. The Divine is Omniscient, knows everything and all powerful. How else could this Cosmos exist? Have you ever thought about it?

We are made up of about 37 trillion cells and each cell can affect our life. We may become blind tomorrow. Our vocal cord may rupture, stealing our ability to speak. One nerve in our body can cause us to be paralyzed for life and if our eyes get affected, we can see nothing. When will we realize that there is a Divine magician who is performing magic within each of us? How else could the heart pump blood through the millions of blood vessels? The Human body itself is a marvel and this should make us Accept the Divine Will and be united. Not just us, there are over 8 billion such individuals and then trillions of animals, birds, insects, sea creatures and plants, each of them, doing their part in this cosmic drama called Life. A true Yogi, Accepts the Divine Will. While a true Yogi contemplates in Yoga, he doesn't question the Divine Will.

A normal man questions God and says how cruel God is. "Look at the tiger eating the deer!" Alas, he says it out of ignorance. One who lives in Yoga Accepts the Divine Will, realizing the truth that all this is nothing but a projection of the Divine Energy. All this is a manifestation of the Divine. But because of ignorance of this fact, many of us think that the design of the Universe is cruel and evil. Thus, we suffer. Our own ignorance makes us suffer, because we are not united in Yoga with the Divine. Because we consider ourselves to be feeble human beings, we experience misery. Those who are blessed to live in Yoga, live in Acceptance of the Divine Will, with eternal Peace and ever lasting Joy.

Yoga and Surrender : Out of the two feet that Yoga stands on, the second is Surrender. What is the connection between Yoga and Surrender? First, Yoga Accepts the Divine Will. Then Yoga makes us Surrender. One who lives in Yoga, lives without fear, worry or anxiety of the future. A normal man is always worried about disease, despair and disappointments. A Yogi has transcended these. Nothing matters to a Yogi. He is fearless. He is even fearless about death because he knows that he never dies, only the body dies. Once the body dies, he will be liberated to unite with the Divine. Therefore, Yoga is all about Surrender.

We human beings are so concerned about the future. This is because we believe this world to be real. We don't realize that it is like a dream which will soon end. Although we know that we are not going to be here forever, we live as if we are the owners of our possessions and we believe that our relationships will last forever. We ignorantly think "this is my house, my car, my money", when in reality nothing is ours. Yoga eliminates this myth. We live united with the Divine knowing the truth. This pours another grace upon us. It blesses us to Surrender. One in Yoga doesn't think, "I am the owner, I am the father or mother, son or daughter." Yoga causes the Realization that we are just energy and then Surrenders to the Will Divine.

"Thy will be done, Oh Lord, not Mine". This is the Yogic mantra for one who Surrenders in Yoga. It is but natural for a human being living on earth to be attacked by his own mind with negative thoughts. Yoga uses the intellect and Surrenders. The intellect plays a very important part in Yoga. Without Yoga, the intellect is a slave to the mind. Yoga uses the intellect to kill the mind. Once the mind is slayed, we can Surrender and live like waves dancing in a Blissful sea.

Look around you! Don't you find people living with petty annoyances troubled by problems that are so insignificant, hassled by issues that are meaningless? This is because they do not Surrender in Yoga. Yoga blesses us to Surrender. After all, we are a little bubble that will soon burst. What is the bubble? We know it is nothing but air. Once the bubble bursts, the air inside the bubble will merge with air that is everywhere. Is this complicated to understand? While it seems simple, why can't we realize that this body that thinks it is me, will soon return to its five elements that it came from. Our life started as a zygote when two cells fused. We were tiny and insignificant in the beginning. In the end too we know we become nothing. At death, we are worthless. Yoga helps us realize this truth, living in Surrender. It helps us live with Peace and Bliss, fearless, without worry, without stress or anxiety, Joyously, Peacefully, Blissfully, till our journey in this body-mind complex ends.

What else does Yoga do as it makes us live in Acceptance and Surrender? It leads us towards the ultimate goal of our life – Liberation.

Yoga walks on two feet,

Peace and Joy are its treat.

When we Accept without wonder,

And instead of Hope, we Surrender,

Then we are in the driver's seat.

SUMMARY CHAPTER 9 : Surrender and Acceptance
CHAPTER 9 : The Ultimate Goal of Yoga

Yoga is the beginning. The end is Liberation. The goal of Yoga is to be liberated. We may be alive as a human body, but in reality, we are the Divine Soul. We are embodied or imprisoned in a body-mind complex. We need freedom. We must escape from suffering of the Ego, mind and body. The only way is to be Liberated, both when alive and after death. The only way is Yoga. Without Yoga, we cannot achieve the ultimate Goal of life.

Every human being on earth wants to be Happy. But each one of us suffers. We may be the richest or the most powerful person on earth, but we cannot escape from suffering. The body faces physical pain, the mind experiences emotional misery and the Ego cries in agony as it is hurt and disappointed. The only way to escape from all this suffering and misery is Liberation, Liberation from the ignorance of who we truly are and Liberation from the cycle of rebirth after death.

While Liberation is the only way to escape from misery, the only way to Liberation is Yoga. Without Yoga, we cannot escape from Liberation, nor can we escape from suffering. Liberation happens with self-Realization. But how can we realize the truth? Of course, we need to use our intellect to discriminate, just as we use our will power to be dispassionate and detached, as we live with self-discipline and desire the Divine. How can we do all this without being in Yoga? How can we cross this ocean of ignorance without Yoga? It is only when we are united with the Divine through contemplation that we can transcend Ego, mind and body. It is only through Karma Yoga that we can transcend Karma – the Law of Action and Reaction. It is only through Bhakti Yoga that we can overcome Bhoga, indulgence in sensual pleasures. It is only through Gyaana Yoga that we can accumulate knowledge and obtain the wisdom to realize the truth and use this Enlightenment to be Liberated from the ignorance and with it all the misery that we suffer.

A Liberated Soul who is alive will continue to face the war within but can sustain his Peace and Bliss if he lives in Yoga. Otherwise, he too can sink into this world of entanglements. If one is a true Yogi, then one continues to life with a steady intellect, being free every moment as he lives and ultimately, at death, unites with the Divine and escaping from this cycle of constant death and rebirth.

This is the ultimate Goal of Yoga – Unification with the Divine. Most of us don't realize that this in fact, is our goal of life. We are not born on earth just to exist. Our purpose is to realize the truth, and to be Liberated so that we can become one with the Creator.

Yoga may have many benefits. It starts by creating Peace of mind. That is why Yoga teachers use simple Yoga techniques to temporarily still the mind, even for few minutes and thus impact their students with enchanting Peace, making it feel that Yoga is magical. Sure, making the mind still will create Peace, but the goal of Yoga is far bigger than just momentary Peace. The goal is to eradicate suffering completely, not just from this life, but from all possible future lives.

Isn't it time to discover the true meaning of Yoga? Isn't it time to overcome the myth, the false belief of what the world thinks Yoga is? Once we discover the true meaning of Yoga, and we try to be in Union, connected with the Divine, our life will be transformed. We will experience a state of ultimate Bliss, everlasting Peace and Happiness, as we transcend all misery, overcome fear and make anger, worry and stress a thing of the past.

Yoga will make us live moment by moment in Bliss and Tranquility, conscious of the truth, that we ourselves are a manifestation of the Divine. Yoga will liberate us from the pain of the body, anxiety of the mind and arrogance of the Ego, as we dance through each moment, enjoying the cosmic show on earth. Yoga will make us Accept the Divine Will, just as it will make us Surrender rather than wonder. Yoga will make us cope with every hope that doesn't materialize, ultimately uniting us with the Divine, making us realize our true identity and liberating us from the myth that we live with.

It is time to discover the true meaning of Yoga, the gateway to Bliss and Peace and the only way to escape from misery and suffering. As we live in Yoga, we are liberated from the myth and we realize the truth, living with Joy and Tranquillity, in Yoga, in union with the Divine.

Yoga is the Union with the Divine,

The realization that we are the Soul.

Yoga leads us to Liberation from Sorrow,

which is our Ultimate Goal.

SUMMARY CHAPTER 10 : Ultimate goal of Yoga

POEM

What is the true meaning of Yoga?

Is it an exercise of body and mind?

If you go on a quest, you will know this is a myth

What it truly is, you will find

The whole world is doing Yoga

Two billion they say are at it

But isn't it a pity, though the whole world does it

What they are doing is nothing but a myth

Yoga actually means Union

It is Union with the Divine

It is realizing that we are the Divine Soul

Not the ego, body, and mind

Our mind is a little rascal

It jumps from thought to thought

Who we are and why we are here

This important thing it forgot

The purpose of Yoga is Liberation

From misery, suffering, and pain

To escape and become one with the Lord

Than being born again and again

The whole world is seeking happiness

We all want peace of mind

If only we practice true Yoga

This treasure we will find

As long as we are passionate and desire

And worldly things we crave

We will find that misery and sorrow,

Will follow us till our grave

But those who live in Yoga

They enjoy Bliss and Peace

They unlock the door of Liberation

With little Divine keys

Anybody can be in Yoga

It is connecting with the Lord

It is escaping from this alluring world

And then becoming one with God

Yoga starts with Purification

Of Ego, body and mind

Then there is Illumination

And Unification of our Soul with the Divine

Everybody cannot be a true Yogi

One who is always connected

Just like a SIM card that never loses network

It even roams with it

The Goal of Yoga is Liberation

Freedom from death and rebirth

Freedom of suffering and misery

That all of us suffer on earth

There are 4 ways to live in Yoga

This is important to find

4 ways that help us to be in Union

Disconnected from the mind

The first way to live is mediation

Dhyaana Yoga is the name

It is about silent contemplation

Not just playing a game

The second method is action

Karma Yoga is what it is called

It is doing every action

As the instrument of the Lord

The third Yoga is devotion,

It is Bhakti and devout Prayer

It is a deep love for the Divine

Yearning for God through the year

Finally, is the Yoga of wisdom

It is Gyaana Yoga or education

It is spending time in a quest for the truth

Till we find Realization

If one wants to live in Yoga

These must be the 4 paths of life

Not being passionate about success and money

And quarrelling with your wife

A Yogi is always connected

Nothing really matters to him

He lives and dies for his God

God fills his life to the brim

A true Yogi lives in Surrender

He doesn't worry or fear

He accepts the Divine will with Joy

And laughs with never a tear

Yoga is union, its a way of Life

A link that survivs every bend

Till we are liberated and united with God

Till life in this body does end

If you want to discover true Yoga

The meaning of Yoga you must know

It is living in Union with the Lord

Being connected till the end of the show

Afterword

Whenever I used to do Surya Namaskar, I too thought I was doing Yoga and this belief stayed with me right from 1987 when I started the practice, till 2012, when I realized that this is not true Yoga. This was Surya Namaskar – Surya means Sun and Namaskar means Salutation and I was folding my hands towards the Sun, then stretching them down towards my feet. It consisted of about 12 steps. People perform Surya Namaskar in various ways. When I do stretching, I would play Bhajans (Indian Spiritual Music). I am so used to calling this Yoga, that even till date, I struggle to call it Yogasana, what it actually is.

Somewhere after 2012, I realized the true meaning of Yoga. It was certainly not just about stretching and doing Asanas. However, even today, if you search "Yoga" on the internet via any search engine, you will probably find images of people doing physical gymnastics. The more complicated the image, the more advanced the Yoga posture seems to be. Some practitioners advocate Yoga as a combination of Asanas, breathing exercises, having moments of silence and meditation.

What a pity! The whole world, barring a few, lives in ignorance about this profound spiritual practice, Yoga. This inspired me to write this book so that people could realize the Truth, as they bust the myth.

By now, once we read the book, we will know what true Yoga is. Yoga means Yuj, nobody will deny this. It is the Union of the Divine Soul with the Cosmic Divine. This will not be accepted by the commercial practitioners of Yoga because it could shut down their business. They advocate that it is the union of body, mind, and Soul, which is a myth. Whether they accept it or not, Yoga is our being united with the Divine. It is a very deep and fulfilling practice and it doesn't deserve to be distorted or manipulated.

For many years now, I have been trying to live my life being in Yoga. It is not an easy task. Since I have been religious and very devotional in my life, it is not difficult for me to be in Bhakti Yoga, the Yoga of devotion where I spend time praying to God, singing bhajans which I myself write and compose. Having said that, I found it to be a big challenge to be in Dhyaana Yoga, spending time in silence and meditation. It was not my fault. I realized that the mind is a rascal. As soon as it gets an opportunity, it makes us sink in Bhoga, worldly pleasures and robs our Yoga, our Union with the Divine. How much ever I tried, my mind would not let me remain in the Yoga of meditation. It has taken me several years to progress on this path and I am still at it. As long as we are alive, the journey of Dhyaana Yoga will not end.

I am so grateful that I was able to be in Karma Yoga after 2014 when my Realization of the truth matured. I stopped all action that was "mine". I even changed my name, all because I wanted to be in Yoga and attain its ultimate goal.

We have 3 institutions - old age homes, destitute homes which includes a clinic, and a medical centre. We have over 600 people in these 3 institutions and I always believe that it is our good Karma to serve the poor. I myself used to go to the streets and pick people who were suffering, take care of them, feed them, clothe them, rehabilitate them and put them back on their feet. I did this for over 20 years as my good Karma, till I realized the truth that these people whom I was serving were none other than the manifestations of the Divine. I changed my paradigm and I continue to serve the destitute today, not to earn good Karma, but as my Karma Yoga, as an action that unites me to the Divine. I see the Lord in each of these destitute, discarded and disabled people and I believe that 'Serving Humanity is Prayer'.

My humanitarian actions are not the only Karma Yoga that I try to do. In fact, I try to do nothing else, except the Will Divine. Every day when I start my day, I pray, "O Lord, make me Thy instrument to do Thy work in thy world. I know I am nothing, Thou art everything. Use these hands to do what Thou wants me to do." I realized that we are just like a flute, incapable of music till somebody blows through it. So also, I realize that my Karma Yoga is inspired by the Divine. Each action of mine, each deed that I seem to do is energized by the Divine and keeps me united with the Divine.

Since 2012, I have spent a lot of my time in Gyaana Yoga and it has helped me transform my life. In fact, without it, there would not have been a metamorphosis in my life from Ravi Melwani to AiR - Atman in Ravi. It is my Yoga of education that inspired me to read all the possible religious books in the world, scriptures of every religion and publications of every good spiritual institution that I could lay my hands on.

My Bhakti Yoga, my Karma Yoga, my Gyaana Yoga, and my Dhyaana Yoga, together led me to realize the truth. We are not this body that we seem to be. We are not even the mind and Ego that says it is ME. We are the Divine Soul in reality! My union with the Divine, through meditation, action, education, and devotion, helped me live with the Realization. This is no easy task I must be honest. There is a war within anybody who realizes the truth – a war between the intellect that knows that we are the Divine Soul, and the mind, ego, and body, that seek the pleasures of this world.

I too was enjoying the pleasures of this world. I must admit that I must have done all the common crimes that everybody does. But when I realized the truth, my life changed. To me, being in Yoga, in union with the Divine, was far more Peaceful and Blissful than all the pleasures that the success and wealth that I had earned could create. I was very successful in my business and very happy too. But I was not exempt from problems and miseries till I realized Yoga. Thereafter, my living in union with the Divine made me the happiest man in the world!

Yoga is magical. It helps us remain in union with the Divine and in so doing, makes us experience Peace and Bliss that is beyond any pleasure of the world. Today, I live my life in Yoga trying to do nothing other than the Divine Will. My most Blissful moments are when I am singing for the Divine. I enjoy spiritual ecstasy in helping people realize the truth, far more than all the pleasures and excitement I experienced from making millions. When I spend moments in silence being united with the Divine, it makes me peaceful and tranquil.

Yoga has made me fearless. It has wiped out all worry, stress, and anxiety, as I live a life of Satchitananda \- a state of extreme Bliss, being conscious of the truth and in union with the Divine. I see the Divine everywhere, in the mountains and in the seas, in the rivers and the trees, in the birds and in the bees, in the butterflies and in you and me. I experience everything beautiful as God, as I live in Yoga and that makes me see the Divine manifest in everything beautiful.

There were times when my mind made me feel that my Soul was unique. How could my Soul be the same as your Soul – the mind questioned. My intellect then came to my rescue and made me realize that as long as I was alive in a body-mind complex, my Soul was embodied and distinctively different. But once the body dies, my Soul will be liberated to merge with the Cosmic Divine Soul that is everywhere. It is just like when we deflate two balloons that are filled with air. Till they are inflated, they appear to be two balloons full of life. But once they are deflated, the air inside the balloons merges with the air that is everywhere. So does our Soul. It is my being in Yoga, in Divine union, that my intellect is blessed to communicate with the superconscious and to realize such profound truths. This makes Yoga my life priority and puts it above everything else.

My union with the Divine is priceless. My Yoga is my biggest treasure and wealth. It is my Yoga that will take me to my ultimate goal of Liberation from this world and the cycle of death and rebirth if the Divine so wishes. I live in complete Surrender, and accept everything as the Divine Will joyously.

May this book help you discover the true meaning of Yoga and then lead you to live a life in union with eternal Peace and everlasting Joy.

I too thought Yoga was exercise,

Stretching my arms and thighs.

Till I realized, it was Union with God,

that Liberates us and unites us with the Lord.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR – AiR

AiR – Atman or the Soul in Ravi, is an embodied Soul whose only mission in life is to help people realize the Truth.

He was born in Bangalore on October 15, 1966. At a very young age, Ravi V. Melwani mastered the craft of business and became a very successful businessman who revolutionized retailing in India with the stores KidsKemp, Big KidsKemp, and Kemp Fort.

After making millions, he realized that life is not just about making money. He shut down his business at the age of 40, transformed his life to RVM, living by the RVM philosophy – Rejoice, Value Life, and Make a Difference. He started doing H.I.S. work – Humanitarian, Inspirational and Spiritual work. His mission was to 'Make a Difference' in this world before his journey was over.

As a part of the humanitarian initiative, a charitable hospital and charitable homes were set up with an aim to provide free medical treatment and care to the poor, destitute, and needy. Today, over 700 homeless and suffering people are served and cared for in destitute homes and provided with free shelter, food, clothing, and medical care.

A School of Inspiration was set up that inspired the lives of many people through motivating talks, inspirational books and videos, and thought-provoking quotes.

A Shiva Temple was built in the year 1995 in Bangalore, which is now known as the Shivoham Shiva Temple. AiR now believes that religion is just a kindergarten of Spirituality, and we all have to go beyond religion to truly realize God.

One day, his Guru provoked him to introspect: What is the purpose of life? Is life just meant to seek pleasures and to live and die without any purpose? What happens after death? Will we be reborn? Where is God? Several questions like these took him on a quest, a search for the Truth. He gave up his life of Achievement and Fulfilment in search of the final peak of life: Enlightenment.

After a few years of intense search in retreat, deep in the mountains, he realized that we are not this body. We are the Soul, the Atman. He changed his name to AiR –Atman in Ravi. He metamorphosed to AiR and gave up his entire life as RVM and started living as an instrument of God doing His Divine Will. This led to several Realizations that formed his new mission of life – to help people realize the Truth.

Since then, AiR's life has been dedicated to reaching out and helping people to eradicate the ignorance that we live in. Truth is Truth but our mind does not realize that. With AiR's own Realization, he has published several books, written bhajans, blogs, quotes, poems and taken up several other initiatives that can direct people towards the Truth. His vision, now, is to help people to Ask, Investigate, and Realize. He believes that unless people ask questions, they will never start a quest and even if they start the quest unless they really investigate, they will not realize the Truth. This Truth cannot be learned in a school, college or university, it must be realized. AiR has dedicated his life to helping people realize the Truth.

OTHER BOOKS BY AUTHOR

1. Talaash

'Talaash' means Search or Quest. This book by AiR is his personal journey to realize the Truth where he shares his Realization that we are not the body and the mind that we seem to be. We are a power. The Divine life force is known as Soul, Spirit or Atman. This search and quest by AiR made him transform his life. It is a quest that made him realize the Truth. It might be just that book that inspires you to liberation.

2. 3 Peaks of Happiness

3 Peaks of Happiness by AiR is a simple book that talks about the quest of all humanity. Everybody wants to be Happy. But is everybody Happy? No. The reason is we are stuck on the first peak of Happiness – Achievement. 20% of the people are lucky to climb the second peak of Happiness – Fulfilment, which comes from contentment. But there is a third peak beyond. The third peak of Happiness will liberate you from the prisons of misery and sorrow and give you eternal Joy and Bliss.

3. My Guru, My Mentor, My God on Earth

My Guru, My Mentor, My God on Earth is a book by AiR in which he shares his experiences with his Guru who was not just his Guru and Mentor, but also his God on Earth. We all need a coach, a teacher to help us understand, guide us to live life and this book "My Guru" will inspire you to find your Guru or to make your relationship with your Guru more fulfilling and meaningful.

4. I will Never Die. Death is not "The End"

In the journey of his life, AiR realized many Truths. One of the Truths was that he would never die. The body will die, but the one who lives in the body never dies. We are not the bodies that we wear; we are the ones who wear the body. Death is not the end. It is a bend to transcend. This book reveals the Truth about Death.

5. Death is Not "The End". Death is "Liberation"

Death is Not "The End". Death is "Liberation" – the second book in the series of books on death by AiR – touches upon the secret of the Kathopanishad, which talks about what happens at death. One of two things happen – if we think we are the body and mind as a doer, we are reborn. But if we think we are not the body and mind, but the Energy, we are liberated to eternal Joy and Peace.

6. I am not I. Who am I?

I am not I. Who am I? – is a very interesting book by AiR, which talks of his quest and Realization that we are not who we think we are. We have a house, but we are not the house. We have a car, but we are not the car. We have a body, but we are not the body. We may have a mind, but we are not the mind. Who are we? Realize the Truth.

7. The mind is a Rascal

Can you believe that the mind is a rascal? You always thought that the mind is king – it is everything. But just try this. Sit quietly for an hour, and try to find the mind. Where is it? You will find the mind doesn't exist. This amazing book by AiR will teach us that the mind is our enemy. It is the one that makes us suffer. It is time to find the rascal and to kill it. How do you do it?

8. A Cosmic Drama

This book authored by AiR challenges us to think that whatever is happening in life is not real. It is nothing but a drama. The earth is a big stage, and we are all actors who come and go. There is no need to worry and cry till we die. If we understand the Truth, we can enjoy the show called life.

9. Who is God? Where is God? What is God?

Well, this might seem to be a simple set of questions, but nobody really knows the answers. We all know that God exists. We pray to a God as per our religion but what is the Truth about God? Has anybody seen God? Where is God? This simple book will change your perception and belief about God and bring you closer to this Power called God. It will help you realize God.

10. The A to Z of Karma

Most people are aware of the concept of Karma – the Law. What you give is what you get. But not everybody knows the A to Z of Karma, that we can actually transcend Karma, escape from it and achieve Moksha, Nirvana, Liberation or Enlightenment. This book reveals the secret – of eternal Joy and Peace - a life without any misery or suffering.

11. Who Are You & Why Are You Here?

'Who are you and why are you' here is a simple book which challenges us to discover the secret of our life. Most of us think we are the body-mind complex, but in reality, we are not. The body will die and return to dust. Where is the mind, we cannot find. Who are we in reality? And beyond that what is the purpose of life on earth. This book will give you all the answers.

12. The 4th Factor

Man thinks that he can achieve anything. He believes that there is nothing in this world he can't do. But, he doesn't realize that his efforts and equipment are not enough to decide the results of his actions. Sometimes, he does his best but things don't work out the way he wants. He then realizes the importance of the 4th Factor, a factor that makes the possible, possible and without its consent even the possible becomes impossible.

13. Be Happy in the NOW!

Every human being on earth wants to be Happy. There is nobody who enjoys pain. People want to achieve Happiness but they fail to realize that Happiness is the journey itself, not the destination. Then, what is the secret of eternal Joy, Bliss, and Peace? It is being Happy in the NOW. Every time we let the suffering of yesterday take charge of our life, we destroy the Joy of today. When our thoughts anxiously jump into what may happen in the future, we lose the tranquillity of the present moment. We seem to be like helpless monkeys jumping from one branch to another, from yesterday to tomorrow. And in the bargain, we lose the gift of being Happy in the present. With this book, AiR hopes to inspire people to live life moment by moment, if they really want to be Happy.

14. Questions You Must Answer Before You Die

Most of us live and die but we don't ask the question – Why? We just exist! We don't want to invest time in asking essential questions which are actually needed to lead a fulfilling and Blissful life. There are so many critical questions that we must answer before our journey of life is over. What will happen to us after we die? Who created this universe? How can we be Happy all the time? Who is God, where is God, what is God? Like this, there are so many questions which we are ignorant about and somehow, we believe that ignorance is Bliss. We Blissfully live in ignorance till we die. Isn't it time to stop and ask questions?

15. Suffer No More

Suffer No More is a personal experience of overcoming anguish, anxiety, distress, and grief. We all suffer physical pain. Who on earth can escape from it? But while there is pain, can we do away with the suffering? What is suffering? While we all experience it, have we gone on a quest to understand what the primary cause of misery is? We live in this ignorance, this myth, that suffering is an unavoidable part of life. We can be free from suffering if only we realize that we are the prisoners of negative emotions that continue to make us miserable. Suffer No More is an analysis of suffering, what causes it and how we can overcome it. If one wants to truly live with eternal Joy and everlasting Peace, it's possible! This book will help you Realize the Truth and Suffer No More!

16. Success is not Happiness... Happiness is Success

Everybody wants to succeed. If one goes deep into the psychology of winning, one will realize that people want to win because this makes them Happy, just as failure makes them miserable. People want to succeed and they do everything possible to win because they want to be Happy. In fact, humanity, by and large, believes that Success is like a cause, of which Happiness is the effect. In the present book the readers will discover the reality that Success equals Happiness is an illusion. No doubt Success creates a sense of gratification that makes us Happy but Real Happiness is beyond achievement. It is contentment and fulfilment. It's time for us to realize the Truth. Instead of chasing Success to be Happy, we should try to be Happy. That is true Success. We must realize that Success is not Happiness, Happiness is Success.

17. God = Happiness

We understand what it means to be happy, especially when we compare it to those times when we are miserable and unhappy. But how exactly is our state of Joy or sorrow connected to God, remains a mystery. Yes, we pray thinking of God as somebody in heaven who has a magic wand with which he controls our Happiness. But is this true or is there something else that we are ignorant about? In his quest to discover Truth and the purpose of life, the author found answers that liberated him from misery and sorrow. He also realized that people didn't know where exactly to search for Happiness. All pray to God but do we know the Real Truth about God? We may believe in any religion but that hardly matters, because God is beyond religion. While we evolve in life, we don't spiritually evolve to realize that God is far more powerful than what we imagine. This book is not about religion. It takes us far beyond religion to Realize the Truth about God and how God is Happiness.

18. Life! Realized!!

The present book is a personal reflection of the author who has written several books on life, happiness, and almost everything that matters in the life journey. Like anybody else, he too spent many years of his life chasing success and money but then, he took an exit from this first peak of happiness - Achievement, transformed his life and started living with Contentment and Fulfillment. He realized that what mattered the most was his Life Realization. There were many questions in his mind and after a profound investigation he discovered the Truth. He decided to pen down all his realizations together to share them with the world. Those who wish to start a quest of self-realization and God-realization must read this book as it will direct them towards the path which will help them realize the Truth.

19. True Love is Bliss...Not Just a Kiss

True Love is bliss, not just a kiss. It is sad that Love which is the source of joy and happiness, is not understood by the world. The world thinks of Love to be just hugs and kisses, romance and sex. Is this True Love? No. True Love is Love from the Soul. It is Divine Love that manifests as Love from the day we are born to the day we die. Stop! Discover True Love and live your life with eternal bliss and joy.

20. True Meaning of Yoga

Coming soon....

Ultimate Goal of Life, MEN – Moksha, Enlightenment, Nirvana.

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The True meaning of Yoga

What is Yoga?

The whole world thinks that Yoga is an exercise of the body and some breathing techniques that create Peace. But this is a myth. This is not true Yoga! Over 2 billion people in the world today are said to be practising this so-called Yoga without realizing that this is not true Yoga.

The word Yoga means "Yuj" or "Union". It is the union of our Soul with the Divine. This 4000-year-old Soulful practice can lead us to Liberation and Enlightenment giving us freedom from all misery and sorrow.

Instead of discovering the true meaning of Yoga, we live in ignorance thinking that Yoga consists of some Asanas, body exercises for our physical wellbeing or Pranayama, some breathing techniques that will create magical Peace.

If only we discover the true meaning of Yoga, we will overcome our ignorance. This will transform our life, liberate us from all misery and sorrow and lead us to our ultimate goal of Joy, Bliss, and Peace!

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