September Gītā: 15.11

yatanto yoginaśh c'ainaṁ
paśyanty ātmany avasthitam
yatanto ‘py akṛt'ātmāno
n'ainaṁ paśyanty acetasaḥ

‘The striving yogis, too, realise Him as dwelling in their hearts; but the unrefined (or immature) whose minds are not prepared, fail to see Him, in spite of their attempts.’
Bhagavad Gītā 15.11

This is a powerful teaching. Effort alone is not enough. We can practise diligently at the physical level but if the mind is not ready, not open, not receptive then something essential can be missed.

Yoga may begin at the physical body but it invites more than this engagement. It teases a quality of curiosity and wondering, a willingness to open into possibility and to explore deeper. Without a genuine interest in our inner nature then no matter how many times we ‘do’ our experience may be limited.

Often translated as union, yoga points to a coming together of all the fragments of ourselves - body, mind and something even beyond both. It is a gentle and consistent enquiry through the seen to the unseen, through the outer to a turning towards the inner. And within that process a deeper wisdom may unfold.