In today’s fast-paced world, yoga is often seen as just another way to stretch, sweat, or stay fit, but when we return to its ancient roots, we remember that yoga is not just a physical practice. It’s a complete philosophy for living with more presence, peace, and yes - joy.
The Sanskrit word yoga comes from the root word yuj, which means to yoke, to unite. So, it’s about the union of body, mind, breath, and spirit. And through that connection, we come home to realise our true selves. We begin to peel back the layers of distraction, expectation, and stress, and rediscover the joy that’s always been within us.
There is a beautiful analogy in yogic philosophy of the mind being too distracted or disturbed to be able to see our true selves, and that is of a lake.
Most of the time, we cannot see the bottom of the lake because either the surface has too many waves or ripples; agitated, or the water is muddy. Only when the ripples have subsided, the sediment settles, and the lake is still, that we can see the bottom of the lake.
And so, when the mind is too restless or unclear, we cannot see our true selves. When our minds are at peace and still, then we can see ourselves clearly for who we are and where we are meant to be. That is where TRUE joy can be found.
When Joy Feels Out of Reach
If you’ve ever found yourself rushing through your day on autopilot, snapping at people you love, feeling low-level anxious or numb - you’re not alone.
Maybe you start your morning already overwhelmed. You scroll your phone before you’ve even gotten out of bed. You chug coffee to push through fatigue, and tell yourself you’ll slow down "when things calm down." But things never really calm down.
Or maybe your days are fine on the surface - but underneath, there's a quiet emptiness. A feeling that life is happening to you instead of through you. You haven’t laughed from the belly in a long time. You can’t remember the last time you moved your body just for the joy of it.
So let’s look at how Yoga can help us come out of that feeling of “ugghh” or “meh” to a pleasant and light “aaahhhhhhh”.
1. The Inner Journey: Joy Beyond the Pose
In classical yoga philosophy, the physical postures (asana) are just one part of a much broader system. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, one of the foundational texts of yoga, outlines the Eight Limbs of Yoga - a guide for living a meaningful, purposeful life.
Among these limbs are:
- Yama and Niyama – ethical principles and personal observances
- Dharana - concentration
- Dhyana – meditation
- Samadhi – blissful absorption or enlightenment
When we engage with yoga as a complete practice, not just a workout, we begin to experience its real power: a softening of the mind, a quieting of the inner critic, and the rising of something more stable and lasting than momentary happiness - inner joy.
The practice of Asana, or physical postures, is there to prepare us for the practice of stillness - Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi - where the real transformation happens!
2. Santosha: The Joy of Contentment
One of the key teachings in the Niyamas is Santosha, or contentment. It’s the radical practice of being at peace with what is. Not striving for more, not waiting for conditions to be perfect - just choosing presence and acceptance.
This doesn’t mean giving up on growth or goals. It means we stop postponing joy. We begin to see that joy isn’t found in the next thing; it’s in the breath we’re taking right now.
"Joy is not in things; it is in us." – Richard Wagner
3. Breath, Stillness, and Inner Lightness
Yoga teaches that the mind and breath are intimately connected. When the breath is shallow and rushed, the mind is agitated. But when we breathe deeply and with awareness, the nervous system calms, the heart opens, and the mind becomes more spacious.
In this stillness, joy arises - not as a performance, but as a natural state. The Sanskrit word Ananda means bliss or profound joy. Not the fleeting kind, but the kind that comes from inner alignment.
This is the joy we tap into when we meditate, when we lie peacefully in Savasana, or when we walk away from a practice feeling whole and grounded.
4. Yoga as a Mindset Practice
Perhaps most powerfully, yoga is a training ground for the mind. We learn to witness our thoughts rather than be ruled by them. We cultivate non-attachment (vairagya), self-study (svadhyaya), and compassion - for ourselves and others.
These are not just nice ideas - they are practices that, over time, reshape our inner landscape. They allow us to meet life’s challenges with more grace. They make room for joy, even when things are hard.
And this is the heart of it all:
Yoga doesn’t promise a life without struggle. It offers us the tools to stay connected to joy even in the midst of it.
Bringing It Home
You don’t have to be flexible. You don’t have to know all the Sanskrit terms. You don’t even have to practice every day.
To walk the path of yoga, you only need to be willing - to slow down, to breathe, to turn inward.
In doing so, you begin to remember what your busy life may have helped you forget:
That joy is your natural state.
That your body is wise.
That your breath is sacred.
That peace is possible.