The glowing heart of the sun rises and sets each day and belongs to no one.

The Earth is cut up into segments of private property and national boundaries but no one owns the deed to the whole planet…except maybe all of us collectively…unless we just have it on loan from future generations. Nations carve out no-fly zones, but the air we breathe is free. The feeling of accomplishment that comes from attaining your dreams after years of hard work and dedication does not come in equal measure from the good fortune of inheriting a million dollars. If we lost the internet tomorrow and the world financial system collapses, humanity’s most essential nature would survive in our ability to love one another.

One of the most liberating things about the practice of yoga is how it brings you in touch with the truly meaningful part of life.

We practice yoga because of the feeling of elation and freedom that comes when you feel totally and completely at peace with yourself. The physical postures lead you to the discovery of a truly eternal happiness within. It is this sacred space of the inner world that yoga seeks to build a bridge to, with every practice. No amount of money can buy you passage down the road of spirituality. Instead the only currency worth anything is the power of your own awareness.

Not all the world’s money can make you rich in spiritual sense. The kind of abundance that comes from knowing yourself at the deepest level is a truth that outlasts the test of time and inevitable vicissitudes of life.

Sometimes stress can cause you to lose an honest connection to the deepest part of yourself and drowned out the quiet inner world. Yet when you begin yoga you open a door to the quiet space of listening where healing takes place. At its most basic potential yoga seeks to reunite your body, mind and soul in one state of consciousness. Yoga helps you regain the lost world of yourself as you really are, peaceful, happy, free and beautiful. Everyone wants to be happy and everyone wants to love. No matter where they come from, what language they speak or how different they may seem every human being wants to know real peace and lasting freedom. Yoga allows you to reconnect with the grand unity that all life on Earth really is a shared dream of peace, love and happiness. Yoga is a process of union that occurs on the person level as you learn to connect your body, mind and soul and then on a global level when you learn to connect with other cultures, people and beings.

We have all faced moments when it seems that our modern life is fraying at the edges. This is not the time to run for cover and abandon all hopes of recovery. Instead it is the time to apply the lesson of the spiritual discipline of yoga that teaches you to find your happiness and joy within regardless of external circumstance. Yoga opens your heart and asks you to believe in yourself beyond all measure of doubt. In this awakening of compassion yoga asks you to find a way to live a more peaceful life and be a force of healing in the world. When you find relief in the awareness of yourself as an eternal being capable of limitless love then the need to control circumstances eases into an ability to love life and have fun. The liberation of soul promised by the ardent practice of yoga is not something that can be bought, faked or cheated. Instead it is a diligence gained by any willing aspirant whose heart and mind can grow large enough to love the entire world, human and non human, painful and pleasurable alike.

The best moments in yoga cannot be owned by any lineage, style or teacher and as such they do not need any protection. Yoga’s greatest gift is the vulnerability that fills your tender heart after a deep practice session and the spiritual strength that gives you the benefit of unflappable faith and devotion. Even if you study with the best teachers it does not guarantee your progression along this inner path. You must also be open to receive the teaching and willing to put in the work that will assure your ultimate success. Yoga begs you to ask yourself who you are without the normal repertoire of thoughts and challenges used to define your personality and demands that you have the courage to be totally honest and present with yourself. If you begin the search through the complexity of your existence and ask yourself who you really are without your thoughts and your known reality, you will find that at the center of your being is the search for love. When you find your own limitless capacity for love you will have touched the shining center of both yoga and yourself.

You cannot buy a perfect sunrise or a perfect day at the beach, but you can be lucky enough to experience it. All the money in the world will not buy you friendship and love, but yoga will show you how to allow deep connections into your life. Even with a billion dollars you simply cannot manufacture the best moments in life, but with yoga you can learn how to live your best possible and be grateful for every breath you are blessed with.