What is Yoga?

In the Western world, yoga is typically understood as a physical discipline in which the practitioner performs postures and exercises to improve strength, flexibility and general health, perhaps even to alleviate certain physical ailments. There is nothing inherently wrong with this understanding. These benefits undoubtedly arise through the disciplined practice of many forms of yoga. Yet to assume that this is the primary purpose of yoga is to misunderstand one of humanity's most profound spiritual inheritances. Physical wellbeing is one of yoga's gifts, but it is far from its ultimate aim.

Origins of Yoga

At some point in prehistory, perhaps tens of thousands of years ago, human consciousness appears to have undergone a remarkable transformation. Whether this occurred gradually over many millennia or through a series of cultural and cognitive leaps, our ancestors developed a capacity that fundamentally distinguishes human life from that of other animals: the ability to reflect upon their own existence.

Questions emerged that continue to define the human condition: Who am I? Why am I here? What is the nature of reality? How should I live? These are not merely philosophical questions. They arise from a uniquely human intuition that there is something about our existence that remains unexplained by survival, reproduction and material success alone.

Even today, despite extraordinary advances in science, technology and civilisation, many people live without consciously engaging these questions. Life becomes centred upon work, relationships, achievement, pleasure or security. For many this is entirely fulfilling. Others experience an underlying sense that something essential remains undiscovered. Anxiety, depression or a persistent feeling of meaninglessness may become the catalyst that turns attention towards a deeper search.

The Indian traditions have long recognised this impulse as the beginning of the spiritual path.

Within Buddhism and many schools of Hindu thought, spiritual development is understood as unfolding over countless lifetimes. According to this traditional view, consciousness gradually evolves through increasingly complex forms of existence until the unique opportunity of human birth arises. Human life is regarded as precious because it offers the possibility of consciously recognising our true nature.

Whether one accepts the doctrine of rebirth literally or regards it as a symbolic description of psychological development is ultimately a personal matter. The essential point remains the same. Yoga begins when the search for truth becomes intentional rather than accidental.

From this perspective, yoga is not primarily about physical fitness. It is a disciplined means of accelerating the process of awakening. Rather than leaving inner development entirely to the slow unfolding of life itself, yoga provides practical methods through which human consciousness may mature deliberately and consciously.

How these methods first arose is impossible to know. Some traditions attribute them to enlightened sages who realised truth directly. Others describe them as revelations from the Divine. Modern scholarship generally understands yoga as the gradual development of contemplative practices over many centuries within the wider religious culture of ancient India. Whatever their historical origins, these methods share a common purpose: to facilitate the direct recognition of our deepest nature.

The word yoga itself refers both to the path and to its fulfilment. It signifies the practices through which awakening is cultivated and the state of integration or union towards which those practices point.

Two Broad Approaches to Yoga

Although the history of Indian spirituality is far too diverse to be reduced to simple categories, it can be helpful, for the purposes of understanding, to distinguish between two broad orientations: Vedāntic Yoga and Tantric Yoga. These are not rigidly separate systems but overlapping streams that have profoundly influenced one another throughout Indian history.

Broadly speaking, Tantric Yoga begins with embodied experience. It works consciously with the body, breath, mantra, subtle energy and the chakras as means through which awakening unfolds. Its methods are grounded in the understanding that manifestation itself is an expression of consciousness. The physical body is therefore not an obstacle to liberation but one of its principal gateways.

Practices such as Haṭha Yoga, Kuṇḍalinī Yoga and many forms of Kriyā Yoga emerge largely from this tantric milieu. Within these traditions, āsana was never intended simply as physical exercise. Postures were developed as methods for refining the subtle body, balancing the flow of prāṇa, preparing the nāḍīs and chakras and creating the conditions through which deeper states of awareness may arise. Improvements in strength, flexibility and health are valuable consequences of practice, but traditionally they have been regarded as secondary rather than primary aims.

Vedānta, by contrast, is principally rooted in inquiry into the nature of reality. The word itself combines Veda, meaning knowledge, with anta, meaning end or culmination, giving rise to the familiar translation "the culmination of the Vedas" or "the highest knowledge". The Upaniṣads, together with later Advaita Vedānta, explore the relationship between the individual self and ultimate reality through philosophical inquiry, contemplation and direct recognition.

The Tantras, also known as the Āgamas, differ in emphasis. Rather than primarily presenting philosophical exposition, they contain detailed instructions for meditation, mantra, ritual, visualisation, subtle body practice and numerous other contemplative methods. Their orientation is deeply practical. Nevertheless, the distinction should not be overstated. Many tantric texts contain profound philosophy, whilst many Vedāntic traditions make extensive use of contemplative practice. Historically, the boundaries between these traditions have often been fluid.

Indeed, considerable confusion frequently arises when attempting to classify particular practices as either "Vedāntic" or "Tantric". The opening hymn of the Ṛg Veda, for example, invokes Agni, the sacred fire. Yet ritual worship centred upon fire developed most fully within later tantric traditions. Likewise, mantra appears throughout both traditions, despite often being regarded as primarily tantric.

This apparent overlap is hardly surprising. Indian spirituality has never developed as a collection of isolated systems. Throughout history, teachers have freely drawn upon multiple traditions according to the needs of their students. A practitioner might study Advaita Vedānta, perform tantric ritual, practise Haṭha Yoga and cultivate devotional worship without experiencing any contradiction between them.

Swami Sivananda offers a good example. Although his philosophical outlook was predominantly Advaitic, he also taught Haṭha Yoga extensively and played a central role in introducing it to modern audiences. Similarly, B.K.S. Iyengar's understanding of yoga was deeply influenced by Vedāntic philosophy, despite teaching a system of postural practice whose historical roots lie largely within the tantric traditions.

This blending of traditions has become even more pronounced since the twentieth century, particularly as yoga spread throughout the West. Haṭha Yoga came to occupy centre stage because it was readily accessible and appealed to modern interests in health and wellbeing. In many contexts, however, it gradually became separated from the contemplative and energetic framework from which it originally emerged.

This is not to suggest that contemporary postural yoga lacks value. Rather, it is to recognise that something important has often been left behind. When āsana is understood solely as physical exercise, divorced from its wider tantric understanding of consciousness, subtle energy and awakening, much of its original purpose is inevitably obscured.

For me, yoga remains first and foremost a sādhana, a disciplined path of awakening. The body is honoured, but never as an end in itself. It is the doorway through which we begin the far deeper exploration of consciousness that the yogic traditions have always sought to illuminate.

Rāja Yoga

One of the central aims of Rāja Yoga is the cultivation of a mind capable of sustained attention. This begins with dhāraṇā, the practice of holding unwavering concentration upon a chosen object. Only when concentration becomes continuous and effortless can dhyāna, meditation in the true yogic sense, naturally arise.

This distinction is important. In the vast majority of modern meditation classes, and indeed in most personal meditation practices, we are not yet meditating according to the classical definition. Rather, we are cultivating concentration in the hope that genuine meditation will emerge of its own accord. Meditation is not something we can force. It is the flowering of a sufficiently refined and collected mind.

The term Rāja Yoga is sometimes used broadly to include a wide range of meditative disciplines, including aspects of Haṭha Yoga, Kuṇḍalinī Yoga, Laya Yoga, Kriyā Yoga and Swara Yoga. More accurately, however, it usually refers to the classical system presented in Patañjali's Yoga Sūtras, perhaps the most influential text in the history of Yoga. Swami Satyananda Saraswati's Four Chapters on Freedom remains one of the finest modern commentaries on this work.

Patañjali presents the well-known system of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga, the Eight Limbs of Yoga, each preparing the ground for the next.

These comprise:

Yama: ethical restraints governing our relationship with others.

Niyama: personal disciplines that cultivate inner integrity.

Āsana: the establishment of a stable and comfortable posture. Although modern yoga often equates āsana with numerous physical postures, many scholars believe that Patañjali was referring primarily to the seated posture required for meditation.

Prāṇāyāma: refinement and regulation of the breath and vital force.

Pratyāhāra: the withdrawal and refinement of the senses.

Dhāraṇā: sustained concentration.

Dhyāna: meditation.

Samādhi: complete absorption, where the apparent distinction between observer and observed falls away.

Together these limbs describe a complete psychology of awakening, beginning with ethical transformation and culminating in direct realisation.

Mantra Yoga

Mantra Yoga employs sacred sound as a vehicle for transforming consciousness. The Sanskrit word mantra derives from the roots man, "to think", and tra, "that which protects" or "that which liberates". Traditionally, a mantra is not merely a meaningful phrase but a carefully transmitted sound pattern whose value lies as much in its vibratory quality as in its semantic content.

Within the tantric traditions, mantra is understood as a means of entering into resonance with subtler dimensions of reality. Repeated with sufficient awareness and devotion, it gradually refines perception, steadies the mind and purifies habitual patterns of consciousness.

The use of sacred sound is by no means unique to Hindu traditions. Chanting, repetitive prayer and invocatory recitation appear throughout Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism and many other contemplative paths. Although their theological frameworks differ, they all recognise the profound capacity of sound to shape human consciousness.

Japa Yoga

Japa is the disciplined repetition of a particular mantra, traditionally received from one's teacher. The practice is usually counted using a mālā, a string of 108 beads, with one repetition of the mantra accompanying each bead. A practitioner may be instructed to complete a specified number of mālās each day as part of an ongoing spiritual discipline.

Whilst apparently simple, sustained japa gradually draws the mind away from its habitual fragmentation and establishes increasing continuity of awareness. Over time the mantra may become almost continuous, quietly accompanying the practitioner throughout daily life.

Laya Yoga

Laya means dissolution. Laya Yoga is concerned with the gradual dissolution of the limited sense of individuality into universal consciousness.

Traditionally, it employs a combination of mantra, concentration, visualisation and subtle body practices to facilitate increasingly refined states of awareness. Like many forms of tantric yoga, its ultimate purpose is not extraordinary experience for its own sake but the recognition of our essential nature beyond the ordinary mind.

Nāda Yoga

Nāda means inner sound or sacred vibration. Nāda Yoga explores the transformative potential of sound, both external and internal.

Initially, practice may involve mantra, vocalisation or classical Indian music as supports for concentration. As sensitivity develops, attention gradually turns towards subtler dimensions of sound arising spontaneously within consciousness itself, sometimes referred to as the anāhata nāda, the "unstruck sound". Whether approached through chanting, instrumental music or silent listening, Nāda Yoga refines perception and draws awareness progressively inwards.

Swara Yoga

Swara Yoga investigates the intimate relationship between breath, consciousness and the rhythms of nature.

Traditional texts describe subtle correspondences between the dominance of each nostril, mental states, physiological processes and cycles within the natural world. Through observation and specific breathing practices, the practitioner gradually becomes more sensitive to these rhythms, cultivating increasing harmony between the individual organism and the wider patterns of life.

Whilst some traditional claims remain difficult to evaluate scientifically, the practices themselves encourage an extraordinary degree of self-observation and subtle awareness.

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion.

Rather than working primarily through intellect or subtle energy, Bhakti transforms the heart. Love, longing, gratitude and surrender become the means through which the individual gradually awakens to the Divine.

Elements of bhakti can be found throughout many of the world's religious traditions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Sufism and, of course, the many devotional traditions of India. Wherever sincere love of the Divine becomes the central movement of practice, something of the spirit of Bhakti Yoga is present.

For those of a devotional temperament, bhakti is perhaps the most natural of all yogas. Emotion is not suppressed but refined and redirected towards that which is regarded as sacred. Whether through chanting, prayer, ritual, contemplation or silent surrender, the ultimate aim remains the same: Yoga, the dissolution of apparent separation between oneself and the Divine.

Because Bhakti occupies such an important place within Tantra, I explore it in considerably greater depth in my essay What is Tantra?

Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga is the yoga of conscious action.

Every action, whether physical, verbal or mental, becomes an opportunity for awakening. Digging a hole, preparing a meal, writing an email, listening to another person or simply breathing may all become forms of spiritual practice when performed with complete awareness.

Swami Satyananda Saraswati often remarked that awareness is the alpha and the omega of yoga. Without awareness there is no yoga. Karma Yoga seeks to extend this awareness into every aspect of daily life so that nothing remains outside practice.

Equally important is the attitude with which actions are performed. Drawing particularly upon the Bhagavad Gītā, Karma Yoga teaches that one should act wholeheartedly whilst relinquishing attachment to the fruits of action. Praise or criticism, success or failure, gain or loss cease to determine one's motivation. Action is undertaken because it is the appropriate expression of the present moment, not because of what may be received in return.

This does not imply indifference to outcomes, nor passivity. Rather, it invites wholehearted participation without psychological attachment. The results of one's actions are symbolically offered to something greater than oneself, whether understood as God, Truth or simply the welfare of all beings.

Of all the classical yogas, Karma Yoga is perhaps the most universally applicable. Every moment of life becomes an opportunity for practice. Washing dishes, speaking with a friend, driving a car or teaching a yoga class may all become expressions of yoga when performed with presence, humility and freedom from self-centred grasping.

Ultimately, Karma Yoga seeks liberation from the unconscious patterns that bind us. As action becomes increasingly free from compulsion and attachment, creativity, compassion and spontaneous responsiveness naturally begin to emerge.

Jñāna Yoga

Jñāna Yoga is the path of knowledge, or more precisely, the path of direct recognition. It is closely associated with Advaita Vedānta, although contemplative self-inquiry also appears in other Indian traditions. Unlike the tantric methods described earlier, Jñāna Yoga does not primarily employ mantra, ritual, subtle body practices or the chakras. Instead, it proceeds through careful inquiry into the nature of the self.

For this reason it is sometimes regarded as the most direct of the yogic paths. It appeals particularly to those whose temperament inclines towards philosophical investigation, although true Jñāna Yoga ultimately requires something far deeper than intellectual understanding.

Its central questions are disarmingly simple:

Who am I?

What is the true nature of my existence?

The classical method of inquiry is encapsulated in the expression neti neti, "not this, not this". The practitioner investigates every aspect of experience in turn. Am I the body? Am I my thoughts? Am I my emotions? Am I my memories? Am I the senses through which experience appears?

Through sustained contemplation it gradually becomes clear that each of these is something known, observed and subject to change. Yet the knowing itself remains. The practitioner therefore discovers, not merely as a philosophical conclusion but through direct recognition, that their essential nature cannot be reduced to any object of awareness.

Eventually the inquiry reaches a point where questions themselves fall away. What remains is not another belief, nor even another experience, but a profound recognition of awareness itself.

Different traditions describe this recognition in different ways. Buddhism speaks of awakening. Advaita Vedānta speaks of recognising the identity of Ātman and Brahman. Yoga often describes it as mokṣa, liberation. Although these traditions differ in important philosophical respects, they each point towards a direct transformation in the way reality is known.

In this sense, jñāna is not the accumulation of information but wisdom born of immediate insight.

Integral Yoga

One of the great contributions of teachers such as Swami Sivananda, Swami Satyananda Saraswati and Swami Rama was their insistence that human beings develop most harmoniously through an integrated approach to spiritual practice.

Rather than elevating one path above all others, they recognised that different dimensions of our humanity require different methods of cultivation. The intellect, emotions, body, energy and capacity for selfless action all develop most fully when addressed together.

Swami Sivananda frequently spoke of balancing "head, heart and hands". Head represents discernment and wisdom, cultivated through Jñāna Yoga. Heart represents devotion, expressed through Bhakti Yoga. Hands symbolise selfless action, the domain of Karma Yoga. Alongside these stand meditation, mantra, prāṇāyāma and the disciplines of Haṭha Yoga.

For this reason, both the Sivananda and Satyananda traditions teach what is often called Integral Yoga. Although these schools are widely recognised for their contributions to Haṭha Yoga, their broader curricula place equal, if not greater, emphasis upon mantra, meditation, devotion, selfless service and contemplative inquiry.

Indeed, many practitioners within these traditions devote relatively little time to physical postures compared with chanting, meditation, karma yoga or devotional practice. This reminds us once again that the postural aspect of yoga, valuable though it is, represents only one expression of a much larger path.

The Benefits of Yoga

Healing

For many people in the modern West, yoga begins as a means of improving physical or psychological wellbeing. We may come seeking greater flexibility, relief from back pain, reduced stress or a calmer mind. There is nothing superficial about these motivations. They are often the doorway through which deeper practice begins.

Today there is substantial scientific evidence supporting yoga's value in improving physical health, emotional resilience and overall wellbeing. Much of this research has focused upon Haṭha Yoga and related mind-body practices, largely because these forms are the most widely practised outside India.

It is worth remembering, however, that from the traditional perspective healing is regarded as one of yoga's many fruits rather than its ultimate purpose.

To use yoga solely as a method of becoming fitter or more flexible is rather like using a bar of gold to hammer in a nail. It will certainly achieve the task, but its true value lies elsewhere.

Traditional Haṭha Yoga has always claimed far-reaching therapeutic potential. Classical texts and more recent teachers describe practices intended to support a wide range of physical and psychological conditions. Whilst modern research increasingly confirms yoga's effectiveness in areas such as stress reduction, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, hypertension and rehabilitation, more extraordinary claims regarding the cure of serious diseases should be approached with both openness and discernment. Individual cases certainly exist, but they should not be taken to imply that yoga can replace appropriate medical care in every circumstance.

What yoga unquestionably offers is a profound means of supporting the body's innate capacity for healing.

Unlike many medical interventions, yoga requires the active participation of the practitioner. Healing is not something done to us but something with which we consciously cooperate. This may involve sustained daily practice, significant changes in lifestyle and an honest willingness to examine the emotional and psychological conditions that contribute to illness.

Nor is healing confined to Haṭha Yoga alone. Practices involving mantra, sacred sound and meditation may profoundly influence our emotional life and nervous system. Contemplative inquiry may reveal deeply held patterns that have unconsciously shaped our lives for many years. As awareness expands, many forms of psychological suffering gradually begin to soften.

Each path of yoga contributes something unique. Ultimately, all invite us into a more integrated relationship with ourselves, and this integration is itself profoundly healing.

Yoga and the Development of Character

The benefits of yoga extend well beyond health.

One of the distinctive strengths of the classical yogic traditions, particularly those informed by Tantra, is their understanding that consciousness can be cultivated deliberately. Just as physical exercise develops particular muscles, sustained spiritual practice gradually refines particular qualities of character.

The chakra system provides one traditional framework through which this process is understood. Each chakra symbolically corresponds to particular psychological tendencies and human capacities. As these centres become increasingly balanced through practice, habitual patterns of fear, insecurity, anger or confusion may gradually give way to greater stability, vitality, compassion, clarity and wisdom.

Whether one interprets the chakras as subtle energetic realities, symbolic maps of human psychology or both, the practical insight remains valuable. Yoga invites us to participate consciously in our own development rather than leaving our character entirely to chance.

Over time, practice begins to influence every aspect of life. Relationships become less reactive. Work becomes more meaningful. Decisions arise from greater clarity. Compassion naturally deepens. Rather than withdrawing us from the world, authentic yoga enables us to participate in it with increasing freedom, presence and integrity.

Ultimately, the deepest transformation brought about by yoga is not that we become someone different. It is that we gradually cease to mistake ourselves for the limited identities we have habitually taken ourselves to be. From that recognition, a more authentic human being naturally begins to emerge.

A similar principle applies throughout the chakra system. Within the traditional tantric understanding, each chakra symbolically corresponds to particular qualities of consciousness and dimensions of human experience. Practices directed towards a specific chakra are therefore intended to cultivate balance where imbalance exists.

For example, someone who feels chronically ungrounded may benefit from practices associated with Mūlādhāra Chakra, the root centre traditionally linked with stability and the earth element. A person lacking confidence or healthy self-esteem may work with Maṇipūra Chakra, associated with vitality, courage and purposeful action. If compassion, forgiveness or emotional openness are underdeveloped, practices centred upon Anāhata Chakra may be appropriate. Difficulties with authentic communication naturally direct attention towards Viśuddha Chakra, whilst concentration, discernment and intuitive insight have long been associated with Ājñā Chakra.

Whether one understands these correspondences as subtle energetic realities, symbolic maps of psychology or a combination of both, they provide a practical framework through which different aspects of the personality may be cultivated consciously.

Yoga may therefore be applied in many aspects of daily life. Before studying, practices that quieten the mind and cultivate concentration may improve learning. Before engaging in demanding physical activity, one might consciously awaken qualities of courage, steadiness and determination. Before entering an important conversation or intimate relationship, practices that soften the heart and cultivate presence may help us meet another person with greater openness and compassion.

The possibilities are extensive, provided the motivation remains grounded in genuine growth rather than personal aggrandisement.

Within the tantric traditions, these transformations occur through the gradual purification and balancing of the subtle body. As practice deepens, deeply rooted saṃskāras, the latent impressions that shape our habits, reactions and perceptions, gradually rise into conscious awareness where they may be recognised and integrated. This process is supported through many complementary methods, including āsana, prāṇāyāma, mantra, meditation, Yoga Nidrā and other contemplative disciplines.

Jñāna Yoga approaches the same transformation from a different direction.

Rather than working directly with energy, it investigates the very structure of identity itself. Through sustained self-inquiry, the practitioner begins to recognise the many psychological roles, beliefs and self-images that have gradually come to define the personality. These are seen not as our essential nature but as temporary constructions produced through conditioning and identification.

As awareness deepens, these identities naturally begin to loosen. We discover that the observing awareness remains unchanged whilst thoughts, emotions and personality continue to arise and pass within it. Gradually the need to defend these identities diminishes, allowing a more authentic way of being to emerge.

The tantric and jñāna approaches therefore differ primarily in method rather than destination. Tantra generally works through the refinement of embodiment and subtle energy. Jñāna proceeds through direct inquiry into the nature of awareness itself. Both ultimately seek the same realisation: freedom from mistaken identification and recognition of our deepest nature.

Perfection and Siddhis

The classical yoga and tantric traditions also devote considerable attention to siddhis, extraordinary capacities or attainments that may arise through advanced practice.

The Sanskrit word siddhi derives from the root sidh, meaning "to accomplish", "to fulfil" or "to perfect". In its broadest sense, a siddhi simply indicates that something has reached completion. Within yoga, however, the term generally refers to unusual abilities that may accompany profound states of spiritual development.

Both the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali and numerous tantric texts describe a variety of siddhis, ranging from heightened intuition and extraordinary concentration to more remarkable abilities that challenge conventional understandings of human potential. Whether these accounts are interpreted literally, symbolically or phenomenologically has long been debated by practitioners and scholars alike.

From the tantric perspective, siddhis are understood as natural consequences of increasingly refined mastery over body, breath, mind and subtle energy. As the chakras are purified, the nāḍīs become balanced and Kuṇḍalinī Śakti awakens, corresponding transformations may occur in the practitioner's capacities.

Traditional literature often illustrates this through striking examples. A practitioner who has profoundly realised the principle associated with the fire element may become capable of generating remarkable bodily heat, a phenomenon that has been documented in practices such as Tibetan tummo meditation. Whether such accounts are interpreted conservatively or literally, they point towards an important principle: siddhis are regarded as indicators of transformation rather than the purpose of practice itself.

To fully realise even one aspect of the subtle body is considered an extraordinary accomplishment. The chakra system represents an immense map of consciousness, and genuine mastery of any one dimension reflects years, often decades, of disciplined practice.

The danger arises when siddhis themselves become the object of desire.

Throughout the history of yoga, teachers have consistently warned that attachment to extraordinary experiences can become one of the greatest obstacles on the spiritual path. The fascination with psychic powers, visions or unusual experiences easily strengthens the very ego that yoga seeks to dissolve.

Patañjali himself explicitly cautions that such attainments may become obstacles to samādhi if grasped as personal achievements. Likewise, the tantric traditions repeatedly emphasise humility, reminding practitioners that even remarkable capacities remain within the domain of manifestation and therefore cannot substitute for genuine liberation.

For this reason, mature practitioners neither reject siddhis nor pursue them. If they arise, they are acknowledged with gratitude but held lightly. They are understood as possible by-products of sincere practice rather than measures of spiritual worth.

The deepest attainment in yoga has never been the acquisition of extraordinary powers. It is freedom from the illusion of separateness itself. All other attainments, however impressive they may appear, remain secondary to that recognition.

Extraordinary capacities described in the yogic traditions range from heightened intuition and unusual perceptual abilities to more dramatic accounts such as levitation. Whether these accounts are interpreted literally, symbolically or phenomenologically, they have always occupied an intriguing place within the literature of Yoga.

Levitation provides perhaps the best-known example.

Within certain tantric interpretations, one explanation is associated with Mūlādhāra Chakra, the root centre, traditionally linked with the earth element and stability. As discussed in the essay What is Tantra?, each chakra is understood to correspond with particular dimensions of manifestation. The adept who has thoroughly realised the principle symbolised by Mūlādhāra is said to have transcended ordinary identification with the forces associated with that level of existence. Through profound mastery of body, breath and consciousness, some traditions therefore claim that unusual capacities relating to gravity may become possible.

A second explanation appears in relation to Anāhata Chakra, the heart centre, associated with the element of air. Here again, the suggestion is not merely symbolic but practical within the traditional yogic worldview: complete mastery of the principle represented by that chakra may give rise to corresponding siddhis.

Whether one accepts such claims literally is ultimately secondary to the point the traditions themselves are making. Siddhis are regarded as signs of refinement, not the destination of the path.

A well-known story concerning the Buddha illustrates this beautifully.

One day a yogi approached the Buddha, eager to demonstrate the extraordinary powers he had acquired after many years of austere practice. When the Buddha appeared unimpressed, the yogi levitated gracefully across a wide river before returning triumphantly.

The Buddha quietly walked to a nearby ferryman, paid him a small coin, crossed the same river by boat and returned.

Turning to the yogi, he simply asked, "Now what do you think of that?"

The point is both humorous and profound. The yogi had devoted decades to achieving something that, in practical terms, accomplished little more than a boatman could provide for a modest fee. If extraordinary abilities merely strengthen pride or become performances for admiration, they have little to do with genuine awakening.

For this reason, authentic teachers have consistently encouraged practitioners not to become fascinated by unusual experiences. Their value lies only in what they reveal about the unfolding of practice, never as ends in themselves.

Liberation

Throughout this essay, and even more extensively in What is Tantra?, I have explored a number of the practices through which yoga may be approached. Yet yoga refers not only to these methods but also to their culmination.

The Sanskrit word yoga derives from the root yuj, meaning "to yoke", "to join" or "to unite". But what exactly is united?

Within the classical Sāṃkhya framework that underlies much of Yoga philosophy, a distinction is initially made between the individual self and ultimate reality. Later traditions express this relationship in different ways. Advaita Vedānta emphasises that no real separation ever existed, whilst the non-dual Śaiva traditions speak of the recognition that individual consciousness is none other than universal Consciousness itself. Although these philosophical systems differ in important respects, they all point towards the dissolution of our mistaken sense of separateness.

Yoga, then, is the direct recognition of our deepest nature.

This recognition cannot be acquired merely as an idea. It is not another philosophical belief but an immediate transformation in consciousness. It is realised rather than intellectually understood.

Within Patañjali's Yoga Sūtras, liberation is described with remarkable simplicity.

Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ.

Tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe 'vasthānam.

Often translated as:

Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind.

Then the Seer abides in its own true nature.

These two brief aphorisms contain the heart of classical yoga.

Ordinarily our awareness is continually identified with thoughts, emotions, memories, sensations and the endless movement of the mind. We assume these movements define who we are. Yoga gradually reveals otherwise.

As mental activity becomes increasingly transparent, what has always been present begins to reveal itself. Awareness recognises itself.

This is the recognition towards which the practice of neti neti, "not this, not this", points. We discover that we are not merely the body, nor our thoughts, emotions, memories or social identities. These continue to arise, yet they no longer define our essential nature.

The Upaniṣads describe this recognition through the expression Sat-Cit-Ānanda: Being, Consciousness and Bliss. These are not three separate qualities but different ways of pointing towards the same indivisible reality.

Perhaps an image may help.

Imagine an old mirror that has been neglected for many years. So much dust and grime have accumulated upon its surface that it appears to be nothing more than a dull wooden panel. We have forgotten that it is a mirror at all.

The accumulated dust represents our conditioning: our habitual thoughts, emotional patterns, identifications and unconscious tendencies. These obscure our true nature without ever altering it.

Yoga is the gradual process of cleaning the mirror.

Each practice, whether through devotion, meditation, self-inquiry, mantra, service or the refinement of the body and breath, removes a little more of the accumulated obscuration. At first only small patches of clarity appear. Then, gradually, the surface becomes brighter.

Eventually we discover that nothing new has been created.

The mirror was always there.

And what it reveals is not something outside ourselves but our own essential nature.

This is self-realisation, or if one prefers, God-realisation. Not that an individual self has become divine, but that the apparent separation between ourselves and Reality is seen never to have truly existed.

As the Chāndogya Upaniṣad expresses it:

Tat Tvam Asi.

"Thou art That."

(Essay © Devamurti.)