How should we set aim or goal with regard to yoga after the completion of a course in the ashram?

After completing your course, the first purpose is to go back and teach yoga wherever you are or wherever you go. Teach yoga, talk about yoga to help others, talk to whoever you wish good health, and a pappy and enlightened life. If they do not appreciate your words, do not get frustrated. Do not be afraid that they will criticize you. Just do your job. Whether the person is convinced or not is not your concern; your concern is to help people through yoga just as a doctor helps people with his medicine even if patients get annoyed or criticize him. The doctor continues to medicate, not for the patient. Likewise, you have to teach yoga in order to help people overcome their pain and problems, whether physical, mental, emotional or psycho- emotional.

Yoga is only a means to reach people. It is only an excuse to be able to give, talk to people and bring them on the spiritual path. The purpose is not healing diabetes, sinusitis, sciatica or asthma. Those are just side effects. If you practice asana, an automatic reaction takes place in the body, mind and emotions, as the chemicals, the hormonal flow and brain hemispheres change. The whole environment in the psychic plane changes. This is an effect. You do not have to work for it. You only have to ensure that the sequence of the asana and pranayama is appropriate for the disease or problem.

If you take any life asana, two pranayamas, one technique of relaxation, any technique of meditation or repetition of mantra, they will bring about an effect. They will influence the processes that take place in your psycho-emotional plane and thereby you will become healthier, happier and more enlightened. This is the purpose. The aim and purpose is to heal, help, to make people happy and bring them to a better path, a better way of living. The goal is to find and make everyone else find the path of higher seeking.

Swami Sivananda Sarswati

Issue :Ganga Darshan, 8 March, 1981