Beyond the Veil: Yoga as a Path to Liberation and Authenticity
Yoga is a process of liberation. As the 2nd sutra of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras states “yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.”
I remember when I would attend Satsang at my Kripalu Yoga teacher’s house in the 1980’s. I was a teenager and my mind was filled with doubts and questions about life and about myself. We would meditate and chant and maybe watch a video of Yogi Amrit Desai. Yogi Desai said that we see the world through our own filter or screen of perception. If our screen was painted with a picture of life as “suffering” or “ difficulty” then that is what we would “see” in our lives: suffering and difficulty. He said that the yoga practice could help us see beyond that screen, to see reality without all of our subliminal impressions or samskaras. He was saying the same thing as Patanjali but using an image that I understood. He gave me a glimpse of the truth in a way that I could digest.
The perception of Yoga was very different in the 80’s; It was alternative and a bit underground. It was not “in vogue” to be doing yoga. At that point in time, I did yoga to be different, to set myself apart. I practiced yoga thinking that I was special and different. It took me many years of life experience to understand that yoga is not about the postures, the breathing, whether you are vegetarian or vegan, or even how often you meditate. All of these things could become part of the “screen” which taints the experience of reality and separates us from each other. If the practice sets us apart from each other with a sense of superiority or “difference” then we are bound up in our own samskaras.
I still reflect on Yogi Desai’s words when I get stuck in the quagmire of my own mind and when I see the changes in the practice of yoga here in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Amidst the evolving landscape of yoga in modern times, the core of yoga remains constant. It transcends marketing trends and cultural shifts. Yoga is a timeless practice and philosophy that has existed for thousands of years and will continue to exist long after our time. It is a journey of self-discovery, liberation, and connection that goes beyond external trappings.
The yoga practice can help us loosen those places where we feel fear and liberate us from what is unreal to bring forth what is real in ourselves. The perception of the practice changes but the practice does not change; It is still yoga and it will be yoga long after the modern popularization. It has been here for thousands of years and will outlive us.
In a world where yoga is often associated with physical prowess or lifestyle choices, it is essential to revisit its true essence. Yoga is not about superiority or difference; it is about peeling away the layers of illusion, connecting with our authentic selves, and fostering unity with others. By embracing the practice as a transformative journey, we can liberate ourselves from the unreal and discover the timeless wisdom that resides within us.
By Tina Stroh BA, E-RYT 500
She started Just Plain Yoga in 2003 and has been a student of yoga for over 25 years and teaching for over 20 years.