The Purpose of Yoga –
- sumit685
- Feb 8
- 4 min read
If someone were to ask, "What is the purpose of yoga?" they might expect a simple answer.
To get flexible? To de-stress? To get stronger? to lose weight ??
Sure, those are benefits. But the true purpose of yoga goes far beyond the body.
Yoga is a journey inward—a path that unfolds in layers, each revealing something deeper about who you truly are.
After decades of practice and teaching, I’ve come to see this journey like a traffic light—Red, Yellow, and Green.
Each color represents a different stage of transformation.Each layer brings you closer to the ultimate realization of who and what you are.
And isn’t this what it truly means when it is said, "Be still and know that I am God"?
🔴 Be still – Stop the movement, the thinking, the distractions.
🟡 I Am – The deep knowing of your true self.
🟢 God – The recognition that this Self is not separate, but infinite.
🔴 Layer 1: Red – Be Still. Stop. Rest. Restore. Relax.
Red means stop.
Stop the restlessness.Stop the overthinking.Stop the constant doing.
This is where most of us begin.
At first, yoga is about moving the body—stretching, sweating, holding poses, and learning to breathe. We start with the physical practice (asanas) because that’s what we can see, feel, and measure.
But something deeper is happening.
The discipline of showing up on the mat, the challenge of holding a pose, the focus required to stay present—these don’t just train the body. They train the mind.
💨 The intensity of the practice burns away excess, restless energy.🧘 The heat forces us to be in the moment, clearing distractions.🌊 The deep breathing calms the nervous system, creating balance.
And slowly, the noise in our heads begins to quiet.
This is the first step in yoga. Stillness. Silence. Presence.
And in that space, something unexpected happens—we begin to recognize ourselves.
This is the foundation, the starting point. It’s where we first experience peace, presence, and quiet.It’s where the journey inward begins.
🟡 Layer 2: Yellow – I am ( Your Self-Realization)
Once the body is still and the mind is calm, something shifts.
You start to feel a new kind of presence—one that has always been there but was buried beneath all the noise.
Yellow is the light of Your Self-Realization—the stage where you see yourself clearly.
For the first time, you realize that your heart’s deepest desires and the flow of the universe are not separate.
They are not in conflict.They are not two.
They are one.
The purpose of yoga is not to fight against life but to realize you are already aligned with it.You are not here to struggle against the universe—you are here to flow with it.
And in that space of deep listening, something profound happens.
You stop searching for answers outside of yourself.Because the answers were never out there to begin with.They were always within.
🟢 Layer 3: Green – God (God-Realization)
If Red is where we stop and Yellow is where we see clearly,then Green is where we awaken to the highest truth—there is no separation.
Green represents God-Realization—not as a belief, but as an experience.
This is not about religion.This is not about worship.
This is about seeing reality as it is.
When you move deeply into yoga, something happens that shatters the illusion of separateness.
You look into someone’s eyes—maybe a stranger, a loved one, a child—and suddenly, you don’t see “them” anymore.You see yourself.
Because the truth is—you were never separate from them.You never were.
The same life force that rises in your breath is the same that stirs the ocean waves,the same that whispers through the trees,the same that fills the lungs of every living being.
And in that moment, you understand—There is only One.
This is Yoga.
Not just physical poses.Not just meditation.Not just breathwork.
Yoga is union—Of mind and body.Of self and universe.Of the individual and the infinite.
And once you experience this,you can never unsee it.
🌱 How This Changes Everything
So, what is the goal of yoga?
It’s about peeling away the layers of illusionuntil all that remains is truth.
The deeper you go, the more yoga shifts from something you doto something you are.
Your relationships change.Your struggles feel different.You no longer move from fear—you move from trust.
Because you realize—You are not separate from life.
You are life.
💡 Final Reflection: Living in the Green Light
You are no longer looking for truth—you are living it.You are no longer searching for connection—you are embodying it.
Red is where we stop and become still.Yellow is where we see ourselves clearly.Green is where we awaken to the truth that we are already whole.
So today, as you step off your mat and back into the world, ask yourself:
💭 Can I see myself in someone else?💭 Can I listen—not just with my ears, but with my heart?💭 Can I move through the day with the knowing that I am already connected to everything?
Because once you know,there’s only one thing left to do—
Live it.
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