“If we could calm our minds and get to the basis of all these modifications, we would find the unity among everything. That is the real Yogic life. That does not mean we are indifferent to the changes and become useless to the world. Instead, with this experience of universal unity we function better. We will have happy and harmonious lives. Only then can we love our neighbors as our own Self (Satchidananda 8). This is such a powerful idea that Patanjali presents among the Sutras. By calming the mind and holding onto those things infinite, we can find happiness in life. I believe this is true. Finite materials do nothing but weigh us down. The Yogis believe that value isn’t a measure of how much money or possessions one has. Instead, it’s important to cherish the relationships among family and friends and uniting yourself with all other people. Everyone and everything is one and everyone is equal.
From my experience, Yoga has been a powerful exercise that has allowed me to calm my mind and understand myself on a much deeper level. As a beginner, I am still learning and becoming aware of my own values and I haven’t yet come to a full understanding of others. However, what I have learned about myself is rewarding and mind opening. When performing yoga, I have been able to clear my mind of all outside stress that is holding me back. Since I perform yoga before I run and exercise, I enter the workout with a clear mind and a loose body. My thoughts are clear and deep. I have metaphorically opened up an endless path full of my own potential. I find myself pondering what it is I want out of life and how I can get there. “Normally, the mind and body limit you, but by holding something infinite you slowly raise yourself from the finite objects that bind you and transcend them. Through that you get rid of all the obstacles and your path is easy.” (Satchidananda 49) Through yoga, I believe that people have the ability to clear the path in front of them and better understand their potential and what they want to achieve in life. “If we are able to grasp that certain roles and ways of being are more primary to ourselves and our well being than others, we can begin to unite ourselves in ways that naturally resolve our personal and interpersonal conflicts.” (Salazar 204) Yoga is helpful in clearing the mind in order to find what is important to us. By clearing the mind, we can see what roles in life take precedence over those that are weighing us down.
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