What is the Ultimate Goal of Yoga Sadhana?

Yoga is a way of living, it is a physical asana practice, a therapy and it can be many more things for different people. Goal of yoga practice differs for each one of us and for each of us in different phases of our practice.

As per the texts word yoga is derived from the root word “yuj’ meaning union. That is the ultimate goal of yoga, the union of one’s consciousness to the supreme consciousness. But before we realise and start taking steps towards that goal we need to go though our own journey.

Each of us come on the path of yoga for a different purpose. I started yoga when I was around 14 years old. I saw my mom doing yoga and I just got attracted to the practice. And over the years I kept my mat with me and every morning I had step on it from anything between 30 minutes to one hour.

For me at that point there was no goal of yoga as such. I was just imitating my mom. And my mom was practicing for relief from lower back ache.

I practiced when I was pregnant and I practiced post pregnancy. I practiced but with no motive in mind. Not knowing where I intend to go. I practiced primarily for my physical body.

Though when I was practicing post pregnancy I realised that this is something impacting much more than just my physical body… It was something impacting my consciousness, impacting the peace of my mind, impacting the anxiety that being a single parent at that point was causing me.

I could feel the difference on a day I practiced and on a day I did not. The goal of yoga at this point in time became stress relief and balance.

I did not know at that point in time that yoga can be much more than a physical practice. I did not realise it was also working on my mind and soul. Also I was never a goals kind of person. I do have in mind a general direction I want to go in but nothing very specific.

I thereafter went on for YTT ( yoga teacher training) and that is where I understood that the yoga I practiced was not even the tip of the iceberg I am yet to discover. Yoga was much much more than the asanas I practiced on my mat.

Goal of yoga teacher training for me was only to help other women friends in particular experience balanced inner states that I had accomplished through my practice.

Here I was only in my first stage of evolution to higher goals. Even though I was getting the right knowledge but the absence of a sangha and a guru who was on the path of yoga in the real terms did not create the spark to look at my practice with a different purpose in mind.

Thereafter I enrolled for MSc yoga and it was at Svyasa that I came across all these people who changed my worldview, who made me look at my practice, my life and purpose of practice in my life in a whole new way. The mandatory YIC course at Svyasa also gave me a sangha who further watered this seed that had been planted and yet continue to do so.

I understood earlier that yoga had a spiritual component. But I addressed it better through my sadhna based on what I learnt. I found that my practice was gradually changing adding in new elements I was learning.

It is not a one step process, it is a journey to the self through the self. It is not a course that will get me there but constant svadhyay that will take me ahead one step at a time.

I am yet not sure what my goal is but I do know what I need to practice. What my practices must entail.

If you are someone new to the practice of yoga, you may not understand what I mean. Because initially most of us come to path of yoga seeking some kind of physical change. But the physical change we seek comes through the layers or prana and manas.

When the student is ready the teacher will appear and also the knowledge will appear when you are ready to absorb it. If it comes before that you would not even realise its presence.

As a beginner I would suggest just keep showing up on your mat every day. If possible practice under a teacher because the teacher plays a great role in our growth. Though the most important thing is svadhyay (self study). So when you feel called to it, read some literature on yoga. The goals will keep changing, the practice would keep advancing, but do not pay too much attention to that. What you need to pay attention to is setting up a daily sadhna (practice) and showing up. Also ensure that you include meditation and pranayama into your practice every day.

As they say the journey is more important than the destination… if you do not enjoy the journey the destination may not really be what you are seeking.

I hope this was resourceful to you. If you would like to ask something further or understand something deeper please feel free to comment. We can also connect one on one, I would love to share the knowledge that I have been blessed with. That in fact is another goal of my yoga practice.

Also you may connect with me for guidance to design you a practice, or join one of my classes where I often discuss the philosophy of yoga.