A key message of yoga is inner strength

Yoga has several definitions in ancient yoga texts ranging from the classical Yoga Sutra of Patanjali to the Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Yajnavalkya. Yoga students may have heard statements such as “Yoga is stillness of the mind” or “Yoga is to unite prana and apana” or “Yoga is balance” and so on.

A key statement of what yoga is, could be phrased like this: “Yoga is inner strength and peace.”

We all face many ups and downs in our life journeys. What can keep us steady and positive? We can benefit from support outside of us: family, friends, other resources in money and power. But if we do not have steadiness of mind within, none of that can help us beyond a point. We all know people with apparently all support externally, but still suffering from mental health challenges internally, with anxiety, depression or other problems.

Yoga teaches us the fundamental skills and path needed to grow and maintain our inner strength. When our mind is clear and steady, more and more of the time, our life quality will certainly improve.

Problems disturb us less and we are better able to tackle them. We can be there for those around us and provide them with effective support when they need it. We can make wiser decisions. We can follow through on our best intentions without wavering.

The entire path of the eight limbs of the yoga of Bhagavan Patanjali, from yama-s to samadhi, is a journey in increasing our inner strength. The yama-s and niyama-s train us to keep our mind steady in the face of negativity: practicing non-harmfulness and avoiding unnecessary untruths, for example. Asana steadies the body and pranayama strengthens our control over our breath and subtle body. Pratyahara governs our senses, and the last three limbs focus our mind.

The result of all these practices is an enormous increase in our inner strength. The state of our body, breath, and senses comes under our control. Most importantly and especially, the state of our mind becomes stable and clear at all times. We can choose to place our mind wherever we wish, rather than being pulled in a dozen directions every minute.

This inner transformation towards greater empowerment and strength is at the heart of the yoga path. We are all eligible to participate in the practice of yoga, and we will all benefit from that practice—from inner empowerment.

Wishing you inner strength and tranquility in your life journey.