What Is Yoga?

An Introduction to the Philosophy of Yoga

When we think of yoga, we often think of the yoga postures, called Asana, which are really just a part of yoga. It’s a very useful part and has a very practical purpose, but it isn’t the entire picture.

The intention of Yoga is actually to quiet the mind so that we may have a direct experience of our deepest self, called Atman, which is pure consciousness. This is what some might call the soul.

According to one very highly regarded yoga text, the Bhagavad Gita (Song of God), it’s stated that “Eveness of mind is yoga”.

In another, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, it’s stated, “Yoga is the cessations of the fluctuations of the mind”.

Often, we identify with our thoughts, senses and beliefs, so much so that we believe we are them. We might say to ourselves, “I am happy or I am sad”, instead of saying “I am experiencing happiness or I am experiencing sadness”.

Although these experiences are very real, yoga philosophy teaches us that we are so much more than what we experience. That underneath the experiences themselves, there is a deep consciousness, called Atman observing them.

So, why do we practice yoga postures? The reason you practice yoga is yours and yours alone. One can practice yoga postures for any reason at all. It can be done to become stronger, more flexible, improve our balance, or just to feel better in our bodies. It can be used to manage stress, or to help you prepare for a marathon. These are all wonderful and very valid reasons. You get to decide what yoga is for you, nobody else.

Traditionally though, the goal of yoga postures is to quiet the thoughts in order to prepare us for deeper states of awareness. They create the conditions for developing greater concentration so we can meditate and have a more direct experience of the divine within.