As we celebrate International Yoga Day, the images and videos from events everywhere seem to focus largely on yoga asanas. Yoga has increasingly become associated with complex twists, bends, and balancing acts.
We set challenging targets one after another — Chakrasana, Shirshasana, Sarvangasana, 108 Suryanamaskars and more. But perhaps the most difficult posture of all is Kaya Sthairya — the practice of complete stillness of the body. This is only possible if one can still the mind.
In the Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Maharshi Patanjali speaks about Asana in only three out of the 195 sutras.
The word "Yoga" means "to join" or "to unite" — to unite with the Self, the supreme reality. Due to ignorance of our true nature, we experience a sense of separation. This separatedness is further amplified by our endless desires and strong attachments, that cover the bright light of the Self within.
Every effort that helps us return to our true Self and restore this connection is collectively called Yoga. It is, indeed, a journey of reunion — rooted in inner transformation, not outward performance. An inward spiritual journey, beyond external display.
There are different paths of Yoga that guide us towards this reunion:
Karma Yoga – the path of selfless action and service. Through this path, one gradually overcomes likes and dislikes, leading to purification of the mind.
Bhakti Yoga – the path of devotion. Through complete surrender to the Divine, one develops dispassion from worldly pursuits and calms the agitations of the mind.
Jnana Yoga – the path of self-knowledge. Through inquiry and understanding, one reduces ego and self-centered desires, ultimately realizing one's true nature.
Asana and Hatha Yoga practices prepare the body for these deeper paths of Yoga. These practices are important and necessary, for they serve as the means. But often, we become so engaged with the means that we forget the very purpose they were meant to lead us toward.
Where does meditation, or Dhyana Yoga, fit within this understanding? As long as the mind remains influenced by likes and dislikes, constantly drawn outward and agitated by desires and attachments, true dhyana remains a distant goal.
Through Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Jnana Yoga, the mind is gradually purified and prepared. Seeds of self-knowledge are planted, creating fertile ground where dhyana can naturally arise and deepen.
Many modern mindfulness and meditation approaches begin directly with meditation, often without giving adequate attention to these preparatory disciplines. As a result, the deeper essence and transformative experience of dhyana can sometimes become diluted.
In Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavan Krishna speaks about Dhyana Yogyatha — the qualifications necessary for meditation. He highlights two important qualities: first, performing one's obligatory duties without attachment to the fruits of action, the spirit of a Karma Yogi; and second, attaining quietude of the mind through renunciation of Sankalpa — the constant stream of thoughts, desires, and planning directed toward worldly pursuits.
This International Yoga Day, let us make a sankalpa to go beyond the physical practice of Asanas and journey into the deeper wisdom that Yoga offers.
And one final thought: Yoga is, at its core, a spiritual practice. Traditionally, practices such as OM chanting, Shanti mantras, prayers to Maharshi Patanjali, and invocations to Bhagavan Surya before Suryanamaskar have been integral parts of many Yoga traditions. As we embrace Yoga globally, let us also remember and respect its deeper spiritual roots rather than reducing it to only a physical exercise.
Let us also take the effort to learn and remember the original Sanskrit names of Asana and Pranayama practices. In preserving these names, we preserve the depth and tradition they carry.
It is Samavritti Pranayama, not "box breathing".
It is Yoga Nidra, not "non-sleep deep relaxation."