(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

Yoga Is The Union Of The Soul With The God

युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु |
युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दु:खहा || 6.17||

yuktāhāra-vihārasya yukta-cheṣhṭasya karmasu
yukta-svapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā|| 17||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 6- Ver. 17:

Yoga helps people eliminate their sorrows by regulating their intake and movements, their actions, their sleep and wakefulness.

Explanation

Yoga refers to the spiritual union of the soul with God. Shree Krishna says in this verse that we can become free of bodily and mental sorrows by being moderate in our bodily activities and practising Yoga. We should also tighten our bodies to exercise austerities, but not to the point of destroying the body.

He urges us to live a well-balanced and regulated life in this shloka so that our bodies can support our spiritual endeavours. He claims that meditators should have well-balanced food, exercise, lifestyle, and sleep. When one lives a regulated life, meditation destroys sorrow, but it can also cause sorrow if one does not.

Shri Krishna encourages us to keep track of the amount and quality of food we consume. We should be continually mindful of what we eat, how often we consume it, and how it will affect our meditation, among other things. In a similar vein, our body’s level of daily activity should be appropriate for our health, job, and other factors. If we live largely inactive lifestyle, we should get enough exercise to ensure that meditation does not make our bodies less active. If we lead busy lifestyles, we must ensure that our bodies are quiet and relaxed before attempting to meditate.
Success in meditation is also determined by the quality of our activities. We won’t be able to meditate correctly if we have a pattern of getting into arguments with people. The quarrel will pop up during meditation. Similarly, if we watch too much television or read too much right before meditation, those inputs will manifest as thoughts and disrupt the meditation. The importance of getting enough sleep is also re-emphasized.

Verse & what we can learn

We must choose what is most important in our lives. If material interests take priority, there will always be excuses and reasons why our meditation will not be effective. However, if meditation becomes our top priority, not only will we progress spiritually, but the well-ordered life that results from the discipline we gain will be a welcome bonus.
Receiving inputs from the world through organs of perception, reacting to the stimuli with wants in the mind and intellect, and responding back into the world through organs of action are the three processes that makeup life. All three processes must be kept to a minimum, not excessive or restricted. In both sleep and awake, one must maintain a healthy balance. Moderation is the keyword. There’s no such thing as too much or too little of anything. A true yogi is a healthy, mature human being who recognizes life’s impermanence and seeks meaning, purpose, and depth.
To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.

There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There are also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.

In the Next verse, Shri Krishna tells Arjuna about yoga and discipline.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…