Yoga is commonly translated as “union” in modern times. Did you know that there are actually 70 definitions of Yoga, not just one? In fact, in the text that most Yoga Teachers are introduced to in their teacher training, Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Yoga means dissolving union or ‘disunion’. The process of disunion is one of letting go of ‘misidentification’ to realize the true nature of oneself.

That’s the amazing thing about Yoga, it can’t be boiled down to a narrow definition or one set of practices. Curiosity and questioning are an integral part of the tradition of Yoga. Let’s dive into Yoga as ‘disunion’!

ROOTS OF MODERN YOGA

If you’ve been following me for a bit, you know I bring up Patanjali Yoga Sutras often. This text has become one of Modern Yoga’s ‘go tos’ for learning a little bit about some of the roots of Traditional Yoga. The ironic thing is though concepts from it are used in yoga classes to talk about Yoga Asana (poses), this Text has NOTHING to do with Modern Yoga poses.

Modern Yoga poses have their roots in Tantric and Hatha Yoga traditions.

Patanjali Yoga Sutras describe the steps to Self-Realization for the path of Raja Yoga – Yoga for the Mind.

These are different paths of Yoga – paths to Self-Realization. One path is not ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. They are just different ways to get to the same endpoint. And there are many other Yoga paths – Bhakti, Jnana, and Karma to name a few.

Now that you know we aren’t talking about Yoga poses, let’s move on to this other definition of Yoga – disunion.

YOGA AS ‘DISUNION’

In Raja Yoga, the underlying philosophy is called Sankhya Darshana (sun kyuh duhr shuh nuh). This philosophy states that there are two eternal principles: 

• Prakriti (pruhk ri tee): Everything material and mental that is temporary, dependent on cause and effect, and all that we experience. It is always changing and impermanent.
• Purusha (pudr oo shuh): Pure Consciousness, not influenced by cause and effect, the essence of who each of us are. It is permanent and doesn’t change.

It’s the union of these two principles that causes us suffering. In order for Purusha to experience the world, it needs Prakriti. Because we do not know the essence of ‘Who I Am,’ we mistake Prakriti for ‘Who I Am.’

Think about this, who are you? Most of us name our roles (mother, daughter, sister, employee, spouse, friend), our thoughts and beliefs, our emotions, and our body as ‘Who I Am.’ According to Sankhya, all that is ever-changing so can’t be Purusha.

Raja Yoga’s practices are to explore and work on unlearning what we’ve come to think of as ‘Who I Am,’ and find our way back to the Truth, which is knowing Purusha. So, it’s an ‘unidentifying’ process to be able to actually and completely understand the ‘I’ in ‘Who I Am.’ It’s a process of discernment (Viveka) and detachment (Vairagya). There is no union in Patanjali Yoga Sutras’ definition of Yoga.

LETTING GO IS YOGA

One reason I like this definition of Yoga from Raja Yoga is that Yoga is a process of letting go. 

Letting go of what is causing us suffering and misery in life so we can live more and more in a peaceful and calm state of mind.

Letting go, in this case, is a process. It’s not something one can force. It happens with a consistent practice, over time. Just like a canyon isn’t formed in a day, month or year. A canyon, like the Grand Canyon in Utah, is created over millennia with the constant movement of wind and flow of water that takes grains of sand and dirt away. One grain at a time, until a wash is formed that gets deeper and deeper.

This is the same with letting go of old patterns and beliefs that are keeping you from peace of mind. Luckily, it doesn’t have to take you thousands of years. You can start right now by cultivating and committing to practicing a different perspective.

LETTING GO IS A PROCESS

A recent personal observation showed me the progress I’ve made in working towards a calmer mind over the last decade. One of my ‘strengths’ has been around planning and organizing. But, this has also been a behavior that’s fueled a worried and stressed mind state too. Planning has been a way for me to feel more in control and try to feel more secure in uncertainty. Having to know as many details as possible so I could feel confident in meeting life challenges exhausted me and created so much more unnecessary stress.

Through my daily sadhana (spiritual practice) and using my whole day as a practice of refining my worrying, control-seeking mind, has created a profoundly different experience. As my husband and I are getting ready to move to South Korea, where neither of us has ever been, there’s been a lot of ‘planning’ that I’ve completely let go of. I’ve allowed my husband to take the reins in the planning, something I would have never done in the past.

I continue to use this moving process as a way to keep practicing letting go of worries, focus on the present and focus on what is in my control right now. It’s not to say that the ‘worrying’ hasn’t come up. But, when it comes up, I’m aware and I quickly use my tools to look at facts and choose to let go of the story ‘worry’ creates.

RESULT IS A CALMER MIND

The result is that I smile and laugh often at my mind. I’m enjoying the process and I’m able to live more in the present moment. And, I also have more moments of calm and peace.

This wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t actively practicing to discern and detach from the story that worry creates and find my way back to ‘facts.’ At this point, ‘facts’ are what I have found lead me more towards peace and calm…more towards figuring out just what Purusha really is.

The disunion of Yoga is letting go of what is ever-changing and impermanent. 

Now you’ve got two definitions of Yoga: Union and Disunion. What are the other 68?? Get curious and go find out!

Namaste.

P.S. Are you a helping professional that struggles with a ruminating and racing mind that interferes with enjoying life? Do you feel like you’ve tried everything and are willing to do whatever it takes to find a more calm mind state? If you’d like to learn more about how to work with me, sign up for the FREE Masterclass – Find Calm Formula™.