The beginnings of Yoga were developed by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India over 5,000 years ago. The word yoga was first mentioned in the oldest sacred texts, the Rig Veda. The Vedas were a collection of texts containing songs, mantras and rituals to be used by Brahmans, the Vedic priests.

It seems that we spend our whole lives creating our 'identity', who were are in this world and our place in it. We introduce ourselves to people that often is followed by the question; "What do you do?" We often answer with; "I'm a hairdresser, mechanic, builder, school teacher and so on. 

We identify ourselves as a mother, daughter, son, brother all of which are important roles but does not define who we really are. We cling to these labels because without them, who are we really? 

At the very core of our being, we all want the same things in life. That is to feel happy, safe, healthy, loved, fulfilled, peaceful, and have a sense of belonging. So how can we tap into these feelings when the world can be so chaotic and destructive?  

The yogic traditions have developed a sophisticated understanding of these experiences we all yearn for. Yogis use the general word samadhi to describe the "awake" mind-states. Patanjali, a great sage from India, gives a description of samadhi in his book Yogasutras. 

"When nothing but the object is shining forth in that meditative absorption, and when the mind is as it were void of it's own form, this is known as ecstasy (samadhi)." 

You see, all the labels, the job descriptions, how we look, our financial status, and all the material things we accumulate throughout our lives can be the cause of a lot of our pain and suffering. Here in the Western Culture, we build our identity from the outside in, rather than the inside out. 

The path of yoga teaches us to build a strong sense of self by going within and getting to know the essence of who we really are. Without the distractions and the noise of the outside world. To turn our attention inward, to quiet the mind, and to release the identification to the physical body. To connect with our soul, our spirit, the pure awareness that lives within each and every one of us. 

The eighteenth century Hindu mystic Shankara expressed his understanding of awakening to the true self like this;  "I am reality without beginning, without equal. I have no part of the illusion 'I' and 'you,' 'this' and 'that.' I AM one without a second, bliss without end, the eternal, unchanging truth. I dwell within all beings as the soul, the pure consciousness, the ground of all phenomenon, internal and external. I am both the enjoyer and that which is enjoyed. In the days of my ignorance, I used to think of these as being seperate from myself. Now I know that I am All." 

Sometimes we remember who we are, sometimes we forget. The key is to have a daily practice that will ALWAYS guide you back home to the True Nature.