Why do we practice yoga?

Often, when we practice yoga, we do so to stretch, relax, and work on our balance. Those are all good things, but yoga’s deeper practice is to use them to consciously control the mind. In yoga, the citta refers to the mind’s thoughts and emotions, which can become uncontrolled, like waves in the ocean, thrashing and crashing rather than remaining gentle ripples. Yoga is about quieting the inner world, not changing the outside world. Consciousness creates awareness, and we develop an impression of life through knowledge, imagination, and memory. From there, we project our thoughts onto the world. For one person, it may appear beautiful; for another, a complete disaster. That is why we bring the state of our minds to gentle ripples. There will always be wars, famine, brutality, and prejudice. These cause anxiety and fear, and anxiety and fear disturb our natural state of balance, quietude, and peace. Let’s get to work using flexibility, balance, and strength to see if we can bring a few moments of peace to our inner world. END If you found a moment of inner peace, you have practiced yoga. It is not the physical world that creates our reality but our inner world. How we see the world and what we project onto it is what we become. Karma teaches us that we are what we think, say, and do. But without the physical world, we could not have the experiences that allow us to see it for what it truly is—impressions that we project from the inside out. To find peace in the world, we must first find peace within. EGO: Flip our palms up and extend out the index finger – the symbol of the ego. Citta is the mind stuff. It is our center for thoughts, emotions, and processing. The mind operates on many levels. One of them is the ego, the “I.” This is the part of the mind that attaches itself to the outside world. The world is based upon your thoughts and your mental attitudes. It is from here that you see the world. But remember, what may make you happy today may be meaningless tomorrow. That is the nature of the ego—to want, and when these wants aren’t fulfilled, we thrash and crash like a wave in the ocean. Pull your finger in and place your thumb on top. Take a breath and surrender to the soul. Yoga is not about changing the outside world. It is about learning how to control the inner world, the citta. Yoga says, “As the mind goes, so goes the person.” Bondage and liberation are in your mind. If you feel bound by the world, you will be bound, but if you feel liberated, you will be liberated. And when you see the world from the mindset of gentle ripples, you are truly practicing yoga. Nothing is achieved without practice. This is why we practice yoga. Namaste ~ may you walk the path of life with health, happiness, and peace. Doctor Lynn http://www.doctorlynn.com