Finding the Eternal Present

The ultimate goal of yoga, often obscured by the focus on physical postures, is liberation—freedom from the cyclical conditioning of the mind and the relentless ticking clock of time. This freedom is not found in an exotic location or a distant future; it resides Beyond Time and Mind, in the deep, unmoving stillness that yoga is designed to reveal.

The practice of yoga is a systematic process of detaching awareness from the ego (the part of us bound by memory and anticipation) and anchoring it in pure consciousness. This state is known as Turiya, or the fourth state—the underlying reality that sustains waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. By utilizing techniques that halt the mental processes, we momentarily step outside the stream of thought and into the eternal “Now.”

The Mind: The Time Machine

The mind, in the yogic view, is the chief architect of our experience of time. It achieves this through two main functions, both of which take us away from the present:

1. Memory (The Past): The mind constantly compares the present experience to past memories, generating judgment, regret, or nostalgia. This binds our identity to who we were.
2. Anticipation (The Future): The mind incessantly plans, worries, or daydreams about what is to come, generating anxiety or desire. This prevents us from fully inhabiting who we are.

The continuous cycle of memory and anticipation creates Vritti—the fluctuations or “whirlpools” of the mind. The foundational definition of yoga from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is: Yogas chitta vritti nirodhah—”Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.” To achieve stillness is to step out of time.

Tools for Transcendence: Breaking the Mental Grip

How does the physical practice of yoga lead to a state beyond the mind? It uses intense physical and energetic techniques to overwhelm the mind’s usual pattern of control, forcing it to surrender.

1. Breath Retention (Kumbhaka)

In both Hatha and Kundalini practices, controlled breath retention (Kumbhaka) is a powerful tool for shifting consciousness. When the breath is held—safely and consciously after a full inhale or exhale—the body’s systems momentarily pause.

• The Shock to the System: This pause momentarily interrupts the ordinary flow of Prana (life-force energy), creating a surge. This surge can feel intensely present, arresting the mind’s normal chattering.
• Accessing Stillness: By holding the breath, you access a primal, quiet center. The mind, occupied with the physical action of holding, often becomes incredibly focused and still, opening a brief window into a state of awareness devoid of thought.

2. Dharana (Concentration)

Dharana, the sixth limb of yoga, is the practice of single-pointed concentration. This is not about stopping thoughts entirely, but about choosing where the mind focuses its energy.

• Trataka (Gazing): Concentrating the gaze on a specific object, like a candle flame, focuses the entire field of vision and awareness.
• Mantra: The rhythmic repetition of a sound (like Om) or a word (like Sat Nam from Kundalini) gives the mind a singular task. By chanting, the rational mind becomes saturated and eventually gives way to a deeper, non-verbal state of awareness. This practice effectively short-circuits the dualistic, time-bound thinking process.

Savasana and Samadhi: The Return to the Source

The physical journey of yoga is often understood as a means to achieve a perfect, stable meditation posture. But it is in the final moments of class that the transcendence of time and mind truly culminates.

The Integration of Savasana

Savasana (Corpse Pose) is the moment of greatest vulnerability and surrender. After the intense work of Kriya or Asana, the body is warm, cleansed, and exhausted. When the mind releases its grip, the energy and physiological shifts integrate.

• Witness Consciousness: In Savasana, we practice being the Drasta—the witness. You observe thoughts, sounds, and sensations without judgment or reaction. You are simply aware. In this state, the ‘I’ that worries about tomorrow or judges yesterday dissolves, and only the pure light of consciousness remains.

Samadhi: Timeless Awareness

The final aim is Samadhi, the eighth limb of yoga, often described as absorption or union. This is the state Beyond Time and Mind.

• Cessation of Separation: In Samadhi, the awareness that is observing the object of focus (e.g., the breath, a mantra, pure light) merges with the object itself. The dualism of observer and observed disappears.
• The Eternal Now: Because there is no thought, there is no past or future—only the infinite, eternal present. This feeling of profound union and effortless being is the true destination of the yogic path, available not as a far-off goal, but as a silent, immediate reality accessed through dedication to the Now and Here.

By practicing yoga, you are not just getting a workout; you are learning the technology required to unlock yourself from the limitations of ordinary time and mind, accessing a boundless source of peace and clarity.