Yoga of Meditation
The central focus of traditional yoga teachings centers around meditation which allows a person to live from their higher self or soul.
Yoga is also said to be a path to release one from the cause of suffering, and achieve a state of balance. These are the views from the Yoga Sutras some of which were written by the sage Patanjali and these views are consistent with the Bhagavad Gita. The Upanishads refer to yoga as the “yoga of meditation,” and the “yoga of the inner self.”
The important thing to notice is that none of these classical definitions of Yoga make any reference to postures, exercise or therapy which is what most people think of when they think of yoga. This is because traditionally yoga is a spiritual practice called sadhana in Sanskrit and it represents a deep inner practice which is followed by those who were not satisfied with beliefs, rituals & outer religious activities
Yoga as a form of exercise has existed alongside these other yogic paths, but it was always secondary to the primary spiritual pursuits which are about establishing a direct connection with divine consciousness or higher consciousness. Sometimes this is referred to as self-realization, but that is not the same as self-empowerment, self-esteem, or self-development which are related to the outer self of personal talents, abilities, ambitions, desires and achievements.
Self-realization is about realizing the inner being we are… our essence and the higher consciousness within us.
> Read part 1 of spiritual yoga
