A way of being

Life unfolds in the present moment, yet, the mind rarely remains there. It habitually dwells in the past or projects itself into the future. If we look at our past, it is mostly filled with memories of hurt, regret and resentment. Since we are not comfortable with the uncertainties of ever-changing life, the future always brings a sense of worry. Distorted by the hurts of the past or worries of the future, we normally do not experience reality as it is. Instead, one's perception of reality is polluted by either wounds of the past or anxieties for the future, and one misses the profundity of the present moment. One, even though being physically present, remains elsewhere, psychologically.

The essence of yog lies in bringing one's mind back to the present. In the second aphorism of the Yog Sutra, Maharshi Patanjali defines Yog as 'Yogas citta-vrtti-nirodhah' - yog is the resolution of the compulsive flow of thoughts. Our inhibitive autogenic thoughts necessarily arise from the background of fear, greed, hatred, attachment, worry and hurt. When such disturbances cease to dominate, the mind becomes calm.

A mind abiding in the here and now transcends the burden of the past and concerns for the future. It relates and responds to life intelligently rather than reactively. Such a mind perceives reality as it is. This state of witnessing presence, sakshi-bhaav, enables one to engage with life effectively.


Yog, therefore, is not just practising asanas, postures, but it is a way of Being. It is the art of dwelling in the present and science of living one's life with clarity, equanimity and freedom. The one abiding in yog, yogyuktah, experiences the 'suchness' of life, reality as it truly is, and discovers peace, wisdom and oneness, kaivailayam.

International Yog Day is on June 21