Following the true path of yoga
The practice of yoga is a method of self development started approximately five thousand years ago. For most of us who live in the dimension of the five senses, our search for ourselves begins with a desire to understand our relationship with all there is. This is the definition of enlightenment. Yoga is that path one undertakes in the hope of developing ones self. Our five senses limit our ability to discover our own true nature; therefore we need some assistance in our search. This assistance comes to us thru the daily ritualistic practice of some form of yoga consisting of not only physical practice but also including meditation, breathing exercises, self study and methods of purification of the body and mind.
First we start with our bodies. We all have one in order to enable us to navigate the fields of the five senses. Thru the physical practice of asana (yoga poses) we start to feel and experience the relationship of our bodies to our minds. Next we start to feel the connection of our breath between our body and mind. Intuitively we now seek the path inward toward spirituality. This usually takes the form of some sort of meditation practiced either before or after our daily physical practice.
Once we commence our practice, new thoughts originating in our cells start to drift into our conscious mind. We start to become aware of the feeling of ahimsa, which means, "Do no harm". This is a profound moment for us in our search for ourselves. No longer are we commanded by our ego to reflect itself in materialistic desires. We are governed by the innate desire to help and assist our fellow human beings.
This can take the form of our leaning toward vegetarianism in order to not harm animals. In my own practice, I felt a great weight lift from my shoulders when I finally eliminated all animal foods from my diet.
Now that we have established our practice and made it a part of our lives, we need the discipline necessary to stay on the road. There are no fast routes into our own true nature. Just our daily practice. Our motivation is our belief in our intuitive judgment that we are on the right road. Expect no great realizations, as that would cloud our path.
Through your practice you will slowly understand who you are and will manifest this understanding in your daily life experience. New vistas will open up to you and bad habits will slowly dissolve. The doorway into ourselves will swing open, revealing the nature of our soul.
