Seven Steps to Yoga

Each step is a phase that brings you closer to the goal, like climbing a staircase.

1. Desire for Happiness: You begin by seeking lasting happiness beyond fleeting pleasures and the cycle of happiness and unhappiness.

2. Self-Study: You explore different yogic paths and study the ego (source of unhappiness) and the Self (source of happiness).

3. Meditation & Practice: You put theory into practice through meditation and yoga techniques to experience the Self. This requires detachment from worldly desires.

4. Self-Realization: You can consistently connect with the Self and experience happiness at will. However, subconscious impressions (karma) can still lead to temporary unhappiness.

5. Desirelessness & Non-Attachment: You become free from desires and attachments, focusing on selfless service to clear remaining karmic debts.

6. Worldly Detachment: With no karmic debts, you lose interest in the external world.

7. Enlightenment: The sense of individual self dissolves completely, leaving only pure cosmic consciousness.

Key Takeaways:

• Stages 3 & 4 are crucial: Regular practice and understanding the ego are essential here.

• Stage 4 is attainable in this life: Reaching self-realization is possible for anyone with dedicated practice.

• Stage 5 onwards is natural: Progress becomes effortless as you transcend desires and attachments.

This process is not always linear. You might move back and forth between stages, but each time you gain a deeper understanding and move closer to the goal.