It is important to know that we are spiritual beings in order to function well and be truly content. We miss one of the main joys of life if we don’t know our true nature. Though spiritual practices, we come into contact with Spirit and begin to realize our essence.

Purification, gathering and liberation are three stages of growth in yoga. Purification is removal of anything which impedes progress. Gathering is centering or focusing on the project at hand. Purification and focus prepare for the next level — liberation. The soul, the Spirit within, becomes free to move and express.

A yogi who has spiritual realization actually lives in the harmony of body, mind and spirit. He/she becomes a partner with Spirit, knowing, loving and serving the Divine. Explore several contemplations which can open you to an interplay with the Lord. You can become a partner and enter into a wonderful relationship with Spirit.

In the view of yoga, we keep reincarnating until we learn to love. The great yogi Sri Ramakrishna taught that love and devotion are the keys to experiencing and relating to the Divine. The Bible contains hundreds of passages about love. Yoga practice helps to release the emotional chains which bind us and to discover the heart’s true feeling — unconditional love. Enjoy a meditative exercise to stimulate the love which is already within you.

Your nature is the key to finding your way to greater fulfillment. When the yoga you practice matches your nature, you go farther and faster on the path. Enjoy yoga practices which help you determine which yoga best fits your nature.

From a yogic viewpoint, life is a gift. We are immortal souls living in mortal bodies. A yogi seeks to sense and attune with the eternal soul. Leo Tolstoy wrote that we can choose to love life itself, no matter if it is happy or miserable. You can enjoy the gift of life and celebrate the eternal consciousness moving within you.

In the view of yogis, the Divine already lives within each of us as the soul. Surrender is yielding to your own soul — allowing it to move and express through you. Yogis seek to live from the soul, the Spirit of God within, rather than a false concept of who they are. Practicing surrender in small things brings benefits and prepares us for the day we discover who we truly are. You’ll likely experience ecstasy and bliss moving through your being as you surrender to soul and Spirit.

Yoga teaches about vidya, the current which helps us awaken to higher consciousness. Step by step, it leads toward the harmony of body, mind, and spirit. Life improves as we solve problems and make better decisions. Through yoga practice, this force propels us into contact with soul and Spirit.

Yoga is an interplay with the Divine. It involves giving your mind, heart and body to Spirit while also receiving greater spiritual awareness and guidance. Explore yoga practices which can improve your ability to give and receive.

God, the Lord of all, is real and loves us. We are, unfortunately, often unaware of the Divine, not sensing the underlying Spirit in everyone and everything. The beauty of yoga is that it helps us awaken to the realization that God is real. Find out how to go beyond the confusion and delusion of maya. The Divine is calling you to wake up and come home. Can you hear the call?