The True Nature of Yoga: Stretching the Boundaries of Consciousness

by Dr. Barbara Steinman

• The word 'yoga' means 'union'—integration of the surface, active levels of awareness with the deepest, most settled state of restful alertness or pure consciousness
• Yoga is accomplished by a meditation technique that transcends physical and mental activity and allows one to experience pure consciousness
• During this state, the body gains deep rest and the brain functions with greater coherence 
• All that's required is correct practice—the technique of effortless transcending

Although yoga is a household word and yoga asanas are practiced by millions, many people are unaware of what yoga really is. The Sanskrit word yoga means 'union' and refers to the union of the individual self (jiva) with the higher Self (Atman) and, ultimately, with the supreme Self—Paramatman, or Brahman. More than simply a path, yoga denotes the goal of spiritual practice: union of the individual with the totality of life, of one's cosmic existence, union of human life with the totality of Natural Law, or those who prefer religious language might call it the Divine.

Revival of ancient wisdom: Fifty years ago, when Maharishi Mahesh Yogi first began traveling around the world teaching his Transcendental Meditation technique, yoga was virtually unknown in the West. Time magazine ascribed the explosion of interest in yoga in the United States to Maharishi’s revival of the ancient Vedic wisdom in this country. In fact, Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation program is deeply rooted in the timeless wisdom of yoga, which is derived from the ancient Vedic literature of India.


To most Americans, yoga means physical postures (asana), which tone the body and promote health and well-being. But this is just a small part of yoga as revealed in the ancient Vedic text, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Maharishi explains that throughout the ages, Patanjali’s ashtanga yoga (literally, 'eight-limbed yoga') has been greatly misunderstood.

While Patanjali clearly speaks of eight limbs of yoga, all interconnected just as the limbs of the body form one whole, commentators in India and the West have interpreted Patanjali’s yoga system as a series of eight stages or steps, culminating in samadhi—the state of yoga, the Atman, the Self. Aspirants were therefore advised to begin at the bottom rung of this imaginary ladder and work their way up, slowly and tediously, until some day the goal of samadhi is attained. Among the eight 'steps' of this viewpoint, asana, or physical postures, has eclipsed the others and come to be known as 'yoga'.

Maharishi’s profound insight into the Vedic wisdom turns this false interpretation of yoga most fittingly on its head! Using the analogy of a table, Maharishi explains that all the limbs of yoga are connected like the legs of a table. When you pull on one leg, the whole table follows. But some legs are easier to pull than others, and if you are wise, you will pull the simplest leg and accomplish the goal in least time and with least effort.

The body is a heavy, somewhat stiff, material object. Bending the body, as in the practice of yoga asanas, requires patient effort and training and may take a lifetime (if you're lucky) to reach the 'superfluid' state of pure consciousness, or samadhi.

The mind, however, is infinitely flexible. We all experience in our thoughts or imagination that we can go anywhere in the twinkling of an eye; we can accomplish anything. The mind is ethereal, without substance. It is therefore very easy to 'bend' the mind in the direction of its source—pure, self-referral consciousness. With its innate flexibility, the mind naturally and instantaneously moves toward samadhi once it has learned the proper technique.

Transcendental Consciousness—the true state of yoga: The Transcendental Meditation technique is such a practice. The TM technique makes use of the mind’s natural tendency to seek greater happiness. The technique effortlessly turns the attention within and gently, systematically leads the mind to quieter, more refined levels of thinking. The meditator transcends even the finest level of thought and reaches a state of absolute silence, peace and inner contentment—a field of unbounded bliss. In this state of samadhi, all the fluctuations and diverse tendencies of the mind merge into unified wholeness, the yoga state of consciousness. Through this effortless, enjoyable practice twice daily, the meditator hits the target and the supreme level of yoga is achieved.
The Eight Limbs: Once yoga (samadhi) has been stabilized through regular practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique, all the other limbs of yoga naturally, spontaneously follow. Just as the legs of a table move in unison, all eight limbs of yoga develop simultaneously through repeated experience of samadhi, the highest or foremost limb. Maharishi likens this to 'capturing the fort:' you capture the fort on top of the hill, and all the riches of the territory automatically belong to you. This principle of the 'highest first' reveals the secret of all success in life: first establish yourself in the state of yoga—Transcendental Consciousness, the Self—and then, functioning from your full creative potential, you have the wherewithal to more effortlessly achieve all that you desire. This is why the Bhagavad Gita, also called the 'text of yoga', advises:

Yogasthah kuru karmani
'Established in yoga, Transcendental Consciousness, perform action.'
And:
Yogah karmasu kaushalam
'Yoga is skill in action.'

The regular alternation of deep silence (meditation) and daily activity stabilizes the awareness in the state of yoga (samadhi), so that throughout all the changing phases of life, one remains unshakably established in the Self. At the same time, Maharishi’s Vedic Science promotes all the limbs of yoga through its specific approaches, including neuromuscular integration (asana); neurorespiratory integration (pranayama); the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programs—an advanced Transcendental Meditation practice, which incorporates the three 'highest' limbs of yoga: dharana, dhyana, and samadhi; and, finally, through other approaches of Maharishi’s Vedic Science, which cover the areas corresponding to yama, niyama, and pratyahara. So even as all the limbs are automatically nourished* through one simple practice—the Transcendental Meditation technique—they are further enlivened through the specific approaches that comprise Maharishi’s holistic comprehensive Vedic Science.

The current upswing of yoga around the world testifies to the growing awakening in world consciousness. Whether you are a devout yoga practitioner or an armchair yogi, through the Transcendental Meditation technique you can realize the ultimate goal of yoga—enlightenment.


© Copyright 2009, Transcendental Meditation program of Asheville, NC. All rights reserved.