The Ultimate Union: Yoga

Eastern Wisdom Weekly #7: About the concept and types of Yoga, and how you can incorporate Yoga in daily lives.

Happy Tuesday everyone🌞Have you ever felt incomplete? Missing out a piece within? Have you been in situations where you had everything with you but still felt about gaining something else? The feeling of incompleteness and something missing out within is very natural. So how to feel complete?

Well, each of us has different tendencies, we make different choices in a given situation which leads us to a path that is created by us. The path might lead us to a destination that we might like or might not, and this further builds or modifies our tendencies and then the overall loop starts again. This cycle is endless and can be loosely called Karma. Karma is not only what we do but what keeps us bound to this repetitive cycle or pattern. But, what’s wrong with these patterns? To put it simply, some destinations might be very pleasant and some might be horrifying.

Lord Shiva is attributed as Yogeshwara (the god of Yogis) and also as the teacher of the different Yoga paths: Karma, Jnana, Bhakti and Raja.

So why not choose paths that will only lead us to pleasant destinations? Yes, quite possible, but even too much pleasant will start losing its shine and you will be back again to the same question. What else is there? I feel something is missing again.

Karma is also collectively defined as the cause and effect principle in Hinduism. You choose a path, that leads you to a destination and it has some effect on you shaping your personality, wisdom, and tendencies, which again takes you on another ride. While travelling, many times you feel lost, you start having good and bad experiences shaping you even more but we are just moving around in circles without an end. There is nothing wrong with this, given you have an equanimous experience in both good and bad experiences in life alike. The feeling of incompleteness and repetitive patterns can be broken if our experience with everything around us is inclusive and unattached. To include everything is what is known as Yoga (literally meaning union), and to be completely unattached on the path of life is Vairagya (which we discussed in the previous weekly edition).

So a person can be fulfilled, or feel complete through Yoga, and Yoga is not only restricted to what everyone thinks. Yoga is not body exercise. It is a way to remain clear and balanced while having an equanimous experience. There are many ways to be fulfilled:

1. If you choose selfless work as a part of your inclusive experience, you are a Karma Yogi. This work can be anything, you can be an artist, businessman, academician etc. Best example of a Karma Yogi is the Sun.

2. If you choose the path of wisdom and intellect to reflect on the truths of ancient scriptures, philosophies, discussions etc. you are following the path of Jnana Yoga. Best examples of Jnana Yogis are sages, gurus like Adi Shankaracharya, Dattatreya.

3. If you choose your emotions, love, for divine service you are following Bhakti Yoga. Best example of Bhakti Yogi is Hanuman, the eternal servant of Lord Raam.

4. The final path that you can take is to involve each of the above three Yogas towards personal inquiry and enlightenment. This is called Raja Yoga (meaning the royal path). Finally, the best example of Raja Yogi are those Yogis whom we know to be meditating for ages, like Lord Shiva.

These 4 paths of Yoga are the major types of Yoga, and any other form of activity can fall under these 4. This will ensure that you feel complete into what you are doing and finally you will attain an equanimous mind which will lead to the ultimate union. We will talk about the ultimate union in the coming editions. Until next time…

योगरतो वाभोगरतोवा,सङ्गरतो वा सङ्गवीहिनः।
यस्य ब्रह्मणि रमते चित्तं,नन्दति नन्दति नन्दत्येव ॥

One may be involved in yoga or pleasures; in the company of people or be completely devoid of company. But only those, whose minds steadily delight in the ultimate reality; indeed they are truly happy.

— Bhaja Govindam (Adi Shankaracharya) 🌞