Posted by Derek Carroll, 19 February 2010: Yoga has become increasingly popular in the west since about the 1960ies. Everywhere you go now people talk about “yoga” but many have no real idea of what it is or how it works to benefit you. In this short article we hope to shed some light on the real meaning and purpose behind the yoga systems of ancient India, the mother-land of all yoga systems. Then we can decide if the popular Bhagavad Gita is just another book, or actually yoga that you can practice everyday.
So what is yoga? Lets take a closer look at what yoga actually is according to the source of yoga – the Vedas. The term yoga comes from the word “yoke” or to connect. According to the authoritative ancient Vedic scriptures of India, yoga is dealing with the consciousness of the living entity. Consciousness refers always to a person, and that’s important to remember as it will help you to understand all the other details. The idea is to “yoga” or “link” the consciousness of the individual with that of the greater universe and beyond. The whole system rests on the scientific realisation that the living entity is a distinct entity separate to the material body and mind.
The yoga system should give a conscious realisation of this fact by it’s process. Sometimes this process is totally mechanical as in the Hatha Yoga process, often using the breath to help, and later with meditation and focussed concentration. Whatever the process, the goal is to experience the reality of the living entity separate to the body as a conscious spiritual spark.
So, why would one want this kind of experience and how can it benefit the individual living entity? Well, according to the ancient Vedas, which are accepted as the authority by all the leading practitioners of yoga throughout history, the goal of yoga is to link your consciousness with that of the supreme individual living entity or Supreme Personality of Godhead. To link our consciousness is not to lose our individuality, but to link in a relationship, just as 2 individuals in everyday-life would form a relationship in which their interests and desires may become the same, but they themselves remain individuals always.
They can and will communicate their aspirations, feelings and emotions, but will still remain as individual entities, although the level of intensity of the relationship can increase unlimitedly. It is explained that this type of relationship with the Supreme Personality is the perfection of consciousness and results in the goal of yoga which is a never ending expanding loving relationship between the Supreme and the individual living entity or soul.
As with any loving relationship, it does not end there, but continues, in this case – forever.
So now that it is clear what yoga is, let us examine to see if Bhagavad Gita is yoga!
Well, in the Bhagavad Gita, the main speaker is Krishna, who has been accepted by all authorised authorities in history as the Supreme Godhead. So to hear from Him as His friend Arjuna did in the Bhagavad Gita, is to begin to build and develop one’s relationship with Him. This will certainly lead to developing a stronger connection and attraction to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore it must be concluded that just by hearing the Bhagavad Gita one gets a connection with the Godhead Krishna and begins to understand His desires and personality. Hence, Bhagavad Gita is Yoga, and probably the easiest system as it simply involves hearing and does not require any physical exertion or breathing restraint.
by Derek Carroll
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