Through dedicated yoga practice, especially wisdom (jnana) yoga, we can gradually discover our spiritual essence. One technique is to release all thoughts and feelings until we arrive at our spiritual core, the soul. Swami Vivekananda’s method of teaching jnana yoga was to start with soul — to focus on the desire to know the source of light and life within. So, how does one become aware of pure being?

In writing about jnana yoga, Swami Vivekananda explains that the Infinite Spirit is manifesting all the universe, including you and me. We are part of the vast Infinite Spirit. Vivekananda:  The Infinite Self is the real nature of every person. We struggle to manifest the Infinite Self in various ways. Ponder his teachings on how to find and manifest the real self. Learn how to release the tyranny of the mind and personality and enjoy absorption in Infinite Spirit.

The heart likes peace and quiet. Excessive excitability scatters the life force and places sudden demands on the heart.  You can help your heart become strong enough to deal with excitement while also allowing it to have peace and harmony. Discover the qigong practice of using color and sound to focus healing energy in the heart.

Qigong practices can help you deal with excessive emotions. Anger weakens the liver, causes the life force (Qi) to intensify, leading to muscular tension and liver problems. Acknowledging excessive emotions and dealing with them reduces our internal friction and resistance. Explore the qigong practice of counteracting anger by focusing life force in the area of the liver.

Each of the major internal organs can be damaged by emotional excess. Fear causes the adrenal glands to secrete the stress hormones adrenaline and hydrocortisone. Qigong creates positive energy flows which can help heal the kidneys and adrenal glands. Learn how to counteract fear by focusing the life force in the area of the kidneys.

Qigong (Chinese yoga) works with the life force and the five energy flows which influence health and well being. Explore the disturbances in energy flows which can injure our internal organs. Learn how the energy healings of qigong can help to overcome anxiety, sorrow, fear, anger and excessive attachment.

Yogis are always seeking to transcend, to go beyond their present level of awareness into higher realizations. One way to stimulate transcendence is to use the eye-level process. Learn the straight-ahead gaze and see how it can improve your ability to think and concentrate.

Yoga is about going beyond, that there is always something more to realize. Yogis seek to transcend normal awareness into higher consciousness and spiritual awareness. Deal with the blockages to transcending. Explore how you can be lifted up into higher levels of consciousness.