Yoga Is More Than A Keep-Fit Class

 

The wisdom that’s too often lost in the Western way of life

It’s pretty common that hyper-successful people can’t seem to find happiness in life. That’s because straying from your true self to succeed at work doesn’t bring lasting fulfillment. A fixation on the external world prevents most of us from finding happiness.

Indian mystic Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev claims in his book, Inner Engineering, that us humans have the capability to create our own experience of life. Unfortunately, many people depend on alcohol or drugs to feel happiness.

An Israeli chemist, Raphael Mechoulam, has shown that people can naturally form their own “bliss molecule”. It is a chemical called anandamide which stimulates the nervous system much like smoking and marijuana does.

When our bodies release this substance, it produces a sense of absolute pleasure without any adverse side effects. To do this, you only need to exercise or experience states of ease and flow while doing work.

Yogis take it a step further. They learn to control their bodies to an incredible extent and produce anandamide through concentration and will power.

Wouldn’t it be great to learn to control our own life experiences in this way?

First we have to learn to respond to life’s events consciously. This means to not obsess or react compulsively or replay painful scenarios in our minds for months or years. We should learn to reflect on these experiences and learn from them. This approach helps us to personally grow from adversity. This involves refraining from saying things that we might later regret. Keep in mind that each conversation might be the last we could have with a given person.

By becoming conscious of our reactions, we can step out of a bad cycle and take a different path.

In order to function properly, the different parts of our being need to work in sync. This is called the concept of enlightenment. So, to reach enlightenment, you need to form a tight-knit cooperation between your body, mind, emotions and energy.

Yoga is a tool to achieve this connection by bringing together the body, mind, emotions and energy. According to yogic philosophy, if the body is in balance but the mind craves food or sex, the body will rapidly fall out of balance. The same is true for emotions and energy. To achieve true balance, you need to meditate, practice physical yoga, pray and do exercises that affect your energy centers.

The key to inner happiness lies within yourself. Only you can control your experience and perception of the world, whether it’s one of bliss, pain or despair. By balancing your body and mind and attending to the present moment, you can find true peace.