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Many people who rarely visit my website think it is a site about "yoga" gymnastics.
Well, if "Yoga" is in the name, then it must be about Yoga
They do not want to know that "Yoga" is a Sanskrit word meaning "union." Let alone union with what or whom...
And even if I write yet another article about this, and a thousand more afterward—nothing will change. They will still think whatever they please. That is their level.
The Word “Yoga” and the Ancient Understanding
Yoga is not a fashionable form of gymnastics, but a spiritual discipline. The word yoga itself comes from the Sanskrit root yuj—“to join, bind, yoke.”
Vedic rishis and the authors of classical texts believed that yoga means the union of individual consciousness with higher consciousness.
The ancient treatise Yoga Yajnavalkya says:
Commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita add that a yogi united with the Supreme remains immersed in the Divine even during everyday activities.
🪶 The spiritual teacher Paramahansa Yogananda explains:
Vedic literature emphasizes that yoga reveals the True Self and enables us to realize that there is no separation—everything is one.
The Upanishad Yoga Shikha states:
Yoga unites the mind and intellect and leads the soul toward liberation.
Iyengar described it as an “art, science, and philosophy” encompassing every level of human life.
🪷 Thus, in its original understanding, yoga is not an exercise for flexibility,
but a method for knowing one’s true Self and unity with the universe.
Patanjali and the Eight Limbs of Yoga
In the Yoga Sutras, the sage Patanjali presented a structured system known as ashtanga yoga—the eightfold path:
Yama—ethical principles
Niyama—self-discipline
Asana—postures
Pranayama—breath control
Pratyahara—withdrawal of the senses from external objects
Dharana—concentration
Dhyana—meditation
Samadhi—complete immersion in the Divine
The final stage—kaivalya—means liberation and “absoluteness”: abiding in union with God, when the witness rests in its True Self.
Patanjali defines yoga as chitta-vritti-nirodha—the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.
When the mind becomes calm, we experience unity with all that exists.
External postures are merely a tool; the key is discipline of the mind and purity of the heart.
Yoga in the Tradition of the Vedas and Upanishads
The texts of the Vedas and Upanishads describe yoga as a path to self-realization (moksha) and liberation from samsara.
The root yuj means “to join”—to unite individual consciousness with the universal.
Vedic yoga includes moral and spiritual disciplines, while asana is only one of them.
Yoga Yajnavalkya states:
In the Shaivist tradition, yoga is the merging of individual consciousness with the universal, leading to enlightenment and harmony.
Why Are Postures Needed?
In popular culture, yoga is often reduced to postures on a mat.
However,
even historians of the practice remind us:
physical preparation was never the ultimate goal.
Classical hatha yoga sought to “transform the body into a diamond body”—to make it a vehicle for the spirit.
The main goal is freedom and enlightenment.
The central object of yoga is not the body, but the mind:
by mastering the mind, a person masters their destiny.
Asanas strengthen the body and prepare it for prolonged meditation.
They are like honeycombs: each cell is sweet if it leads to the inner witness.
Criticism of the Modern Approach
In the West, yoga has become a multibillion-dollar industry.
An ancient discipline has turned into a fitness trend in which the mat matters more than consciousness.
True yoga is a map of spiritual awakening that includes yamas, niyamas, meditation, and breathing practices.
Commercialization robs it of its power when yoga becomes a prop for photographs,
rather than a path to unity with Spirit.
Real yoga is not a pose for the camera, but the realization that the one posing and God are one.
Conclusion: Returning to the Roots
True yoga is a path to the Absolute, not merely gymnastics.
It arises from the root “yuj”—“to join.”
It is the union of the soul with Brahman, the cessation of the waves of the mind, and the ascent to samadhi.
Modern yoga brings to mind the story of the blind men and the elephant:
each holds onto one part and thinks they know the whole.
But real yoga is infinitely deeper.
It is a road through discipline, meditation, and virtue toward awareness of one’s true nature.
The true meaning of yoga is inspiring, like the dawn:
it does not end on the mat—it begins in the heart.
May everyone who steps onto the mat remember: the mat is merely the threshold to the temple of true Yoga.
Then yoga will once again become what it was for the Vedic rishis—
a path to self-knowledge, unity, and freedom.
Well, if "Yoga" is in the name, then it must be about Yoga
They do not want to know that "Yoga" is a Sanskrit word meaning "union." Let alone union with what or whom...
And even if I write yet another article about this, and a thousand more afterward—nothing will change. They will still think whatever they please. That is their level.
Yoga is not a fashionable form of gymnastics, but a spiritual discipline. The word yoga itself comes from the Sanskrit root yuj—“to join, bind, yoke.”
The ancient treatise Yoga Yajnavalkya says:
“Yoga is the union of the individual soul (jiva-atma) with the Supreme Soul (param-atma).”
🪶 The spiritual teacher Paramahansa Yogananda explains:
“Yoga is the union of the soul with Spirit… its purpose is to unite individual consciousness with the eternal, boundless Spirit.”
The Upanishad Yoga Shikha states:
“There is no virtue higher than yoga… nothing subtler or higher exists.”
Iyengar described it as an “art, science, and philosophy” encompassing every level of human life.
🪷 Thus, in its original understanding, yoga is not an exercise for flexibility,
but a method for knowing one’s true Self and unity with the universe.
In the Yoga Sutras, the sage Patanjali presented a structured system known as ashtanga yoga—the eightfold path:
When the mind becomes calm, we experience unity with all that exists.
External postures are merely a tool; the key is discipline of the mind and purity of the heart.
The root yuj means “to join”—to unite individual consciousness with the universal.
“Yoga is the union of the individual soul with the supreme ‘Self’ (Brahman).”
In popular culture, yoga is often reduced to postures on a mat.
However,
physical preparation was never the ultimate goal.
The main goal is freedom and enlightenment.
by mastering the mind, a person masters their destiny.
They are like honeycombs: each cell is sweet if it leads to the inner witness.
An ancient discipline has turned into a fitness trend in which the mat matters more than consciousness.
Commercialization robs it of its power when yoga becomes a prop for photographs,
rather than a path to unity with Spirit.
True yoga is a path to the Absolute, not merely gymnastics.
It arises from the root “yuj”—“to join.”
It is the union of the soul with Brahman, the cessation of the waves of the mind, and the ascent to samadhi.
each holds onto one part and thinks they know the whole.
But real yoga is infinitely deeper.
it does not end on the mat—it begins in the heart.
Then yoga will once again become what it was for the Vedic rishis—
a path to self-knowledge, unity, and freedom.






