What is Yoga? A seemingly simple and straightforward question, but depending on who you ask, you will receive any number of different answers. The word Yoga has become a kind of buzz word in today’s society. For different people using it, it could have different meanings. It could be practiced for various reasons to achieve various unique goals for the individual. Some people view it primarily as a form of exercise, some people have begun to use it to gain social media popularity and as a source of income, others get more involved with the deeper spiritual and mental aspects of yoga and integrate it into their lifestyle. I would like to use this space to share the traditional meanings and definitions of Yoga, and I then invite you to use that foundational knowledge to explore and think about what Yoga means to you.
Going Back to the Roots
When I was studying Yoga in India, we were taught the true meaning of yoga on the very first day; and every day thereafter, the meaning was emphasized, and we were reminded of its main purpose during our other teachings. The word ‘Yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit root word ‘Yuj’, which means ‘to yoke’, ‘to unite’ or ‘to join’. Yoga has three classical meanings stemming from this root: yujir yoge, which means union, yuj samyamane, which means discipline, and yuj samadhau, which means concentration or integration.
When we talk about union, we are referring to the union of our mind, body and spirit; connecting our physical being to our mental and our spiritual beings, the union of the individual self with the higher, universal self; the practice of Yoga helps us do that. Yuj Samyamane is about developing discipline and involves the withdrawal of the senses that normally have a hold on us and sway our decision making one way or another. And lastly, Yuj Samadhau is the silencing of the mind and the thoughts that are constantly active and engaged within so that we can reach a state of Samadhi, which is the ultimate goal of Yoga, as we will discuss in more detail a bit later.
Classical Definitions of Yoga
After breaking down and fully understanding the true meaning and purpose of Yoga, we started to explore the classical texts of Patanjali Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita to study the definitions and fundamentals of Yoga that each one provides.
Patanjali Yoga Sutras
“Yogash Chittavrittinirodhah” Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Chapter 1, Verse 2
Yogasḥ – Yoga
Chitta – All that is present in human beings’ minds; thoughts; consciousness
Vritti – thought-wave; mental whirlpool; a ripple in the chitta. A vritti alters perception like a misconception, or as waves on the surface of a pond obscure or distort our view of the bottom
Nirodhaḥ – To find tranquillity; to control
Chitta can be compared to a veil worn by a bride; every visual is filtered through the veil and the entire world takes on the colour of the veil. If, for example, a veil of a different colour was worn, then, for her, the world would be that different colour. However, for the groom, the world would be unchanged regardless of the colour of the veil his bride-to-be is wearing. So, looking at the same scene, the two people see or perceive it differently.
This next example, which I hope many of you can relate to, shows that, even though we may not be aware of it, our perceptions of the world are generally skewed or rather greatly affected and dependent on circumstance. Let’s say you are driving to an appointment and are running late, you’re far more likely to notice all the red robots and the traffic and the guy cutting in front of you without your consent. However, if you set out for the same appointment and you had plenty of time to get there, you would probably enjoy the trip even with the red lights and traffic, and will probably give the guy trying to jump the queue some extra space to get in front of you.
When you were late you saw the world through the “veil” of haste, and when you had plenty of time, you saw the world through the “veil” of patience, calmness and enjoyment. These are two very different perceptions of the same global scenario; the world hasn’t changed, but rather your mindset and hence your take on it.
So, chitta is anything that can have an effect on our perception of the world.
Vritti, which is directly translated to “waves”, refers to anything that can alter the chitta or the effect on our perceptions and prevent us from perceiving the true reality of the world as well as the reality of our own true Self.
Since misconceptions are deeply embedded in our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies, releasing ourselves of the misconceptions that alter our perception is a highly complex task that involves our entire being. However, we all have the ability to reach this clear state of perception, which is the state that Patanjali refers to as Yoga, and to which he shows us a viable path.
The purpose of yoga is to lift this “veil” and give you the gift of truth. Only then can you begin to genuinely perceive reality and yourself. This is an experience that can change your life completely.
Bhagavad Gita
“Samatvam Yoga Uchyate” Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 48
Samatvam – evenness of mind; equanimity
Yoga – yoga
Uchyate – is called
Swami Sivananda explains very well what the Bhagavad Gita says about Yoga: “Samatvam is the yoga that Lord Krishna talks about at length in the Bhagavad Gita. He defines yoga as: Samatvam Yoga Uchyate (2:48): Samatvam is Yoga; equanimity is yoga… He [Lord Krishna] explains that samatvam is being able to maintain one’s balance of mind in success and failure, gain and loss, pleasure and pain, and that is the aptitude of a perfect master who remains equipoised in all circumstances. That is samatvam, the yoga of equanimity.”
Similar to the second meaning of Yoga discussed above (yuj samayamane) this definition is linked to the ability to control the senses and balance one’s mind to remain calm and neutral at all times, regardless of the circumstances with which we are faced.
“Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam” Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 50
yogah – yoga
karma – action / activities / behaviour / any change in time and space
kaushalam – art / skill / efficiency / perfect or appropriate behaviour
From this extract of the Bhagavad Gita, we define Yoga as perfectly skilled action or behaviour. Perfect action is positive action, which is necessary for our evolution and positive life, and which leads to positive health on a physical and mental level. All our actions should be to avoid negative experiences in life, so any behaviour causing negative experience should be avoided. For example, getting angry is harmful for our body and mind, and therefore should be controlled. Furthermore, since stress and anxiety are bad for health, then our action should be such that stress and anxiety does not disturb that positive state of mind.
This definition links very closely to the third meaning (yuj samadhau), which is related to the silencing of the mind and the thoughts that are constantly active and engaged within so that we can reach a state of Samadhi.
Anyone Can Do It!
You can see that the meanings and definitions of Yoga discussed here are all linked to and inter-related with each other. You can also see that not once did we even mention the practicing of any fancy poses in exotic locations as part of the fundamentals of Yoga. Contrary to popular belief, Yoga is not all about getting into impossible postures, or showing off your new fancy leggings and the latest biodegradable yoga mat, or about getting thousands of followers on social media. You don’t have to be religious or flexible or skinny or young (or vegetarian!) to integrate Yoga into your lifestyle. Anyone can start practicing Yoga at any time or place no matter where you are in your life.
This was what I wanted to share with you so that we all have a strong foundation and understanding about what Yoga actually is. If this sounds like something you would be interested in learning more about, then look out for the following posts, as we will move on to discuss the various ways in which we can practice Yoga and the 8 limbs of Yoga we need to integrate into our lives in order to achieve the ultimate goal of Samadhi.
Bye for now.