Serve, love, give, purify, meditate, realize...

This motto is the essence of the teachings of Swami Sivananda.

If we want to know what is yoga and what is the practice of yoga, then this motto is a simple way to find out what they are.

Serve, love, give, purify, meditate, realize

Selfless service, non-attachment, unconditional love, renounce the fruit of actions, Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana and Dhyana are the basic practice for us to purify the mind to realize the Truth.

The entire yoga practice is about realizing compassion and wisdom... Or in another terms, to be free from egoism and ignorance.

All our yoga practice is for purifying the mind, to remove ignorance and to eliminate the ego.

If our mind is not purified, ignorance is not removed and the ego is not eliminated, then no matter how many hours or  years we have been "practicing yoga", and how much "physical and mental benefits" that we have attained from performing the "yoga practice", it doesn't determine anything. We are still not free.

It doesn't matter if we have an external Guru or teacher, or it doesn't matter if our Guru or teacher is enlightened or famous, it is our own effort and practice that will determine whether we are practicing yoga or not, and whether we will realize the Truth or not, and whether we will be liberated from ignorance, and be free from sufferings that derive from being ignorant...

Perform all our yoga practice, duties and responsibilities without attachment, identification, intention, judgment or expectation, and be free.

Do our best and let go.

Om shanti.