Radhanath Swami explains how yoga means unity

44 Yoga means unity

What is the meaning of yoga? Yoga means unity. What is the meaning of religion? Religion comes from the Greek word religio, which means “to bind back, to be in harmony, to be in unity.” Every living being has a body, a mind and a consciousness. The consciousness is the energy emanating from the soul or the atma. So to harmonize the body, the mind and the soul is the art of yoga.

Yoga simply means to unite.To unite the body with nature is hatha–yoga. To create unity within the mind and the body is pranayama. To create unity within mind and the atma is jnana. To create unity between the soul and God is bhakti. That is the complete yoga system—unity. And in that unified condition, we can actually express the natural innate love, which we have found in our own life, in everything we do within this world.

“All of us within our own hearts have unlimited tremendous spiritual power.” – Radhanath Swami

The process of yoga, or the real, true process of religion, is not just to perform some rituals and have some social identity in which we protect ourselves from other people with a different religious or social identity. The essence of real religion or yoga is to access that incredible spiritual power and to express it in every aspect of our life. Then, with a pure heart, we can overcome many obstacles that seem impossible.

If we have unity, we can create unity. If our mind is in conflict, if our mind is not balanced with our body and with the needs of the soul, then there is a fundamental disunity in our life. When there are so many dysfunctional people who are not in harmony with their own consciousness, whose mind, body, and soul are not one in interest, in purpose, who are not unified, then there can be no real peace, there can be no real happiness, there can be no real love.

– Radhanath Swami
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