A reader recently wrote to Swami Nirmalananda about how one brief counsel—“Become a Yogi”—moved from an unexpected answer to a lived spiritual lesson. Her experience at a church confirmation points to a central truth of yoga: the most effective help we can offer often begins by becoming inwardly still and attuned to God.
The email below is reproduced as received; only paragraph formatting and emphasis have been added.
A couple of years ago, my Satsang question to you was something along the lines of: “With war and terrorism going on in Gaza with Israel, and in Ukraine with Russia, how do you pray for PEACE?”
At first, your answer startled me because you replied something to the effect of, “No. There have always been wars and starvation and slavery, etc.”
I asked you what I could do, and you replied, “Become a Yogi!”
This past Saturday, I had been invited to attend the Confirmation in a Catholic Church. The woman in the pew in front of me had four children with her. One boy, who looked to be about eight or nine years old, was making so much noise. Immediately, from experience, I noted that he was on the Autism Spectrum and not “misbehaving.”
Thoughts came rushing into my head about what I could do to help. So, I decided to send “Reiki” energy to the boy about four feet away. As I started the Reiki, he did not get quieter.
Then, I noticed that all of my thoughts were really about me. I was feeling sorry for his embarrassed mother. I was having empathy for the congregation of people struggling to hear the ceremony. Then I heard your voice say, “Become a Yogi.”
I quickly shifted to Soham. I went fairly deep for a while, but then I noticed that the boy had settled down and got very quiet. It was in that moment that I really understood that I cannot do anything. The best thing I can do is to “Become a Yogi.” Resonate with God… ALL THAT IS.
The Quiet Work of Yoga
This is a reminder that yoga begins by changing the consciousness we bring into a situation.
When the mind returns to the Divine through Soham, prayer, or meditation, our presence can become quieter, clearer, and more helpful. We may not control outward circumstances, but we can choose what we contribute to them. Again and again, the counsel is simple: Become a Yogi.
Then the question is: How do I become a yogi? You can begin here:
- What is Yoga?
- The Yoga Life: What It Is, and How to Live It
- How to Be a Yogi
- Soham Yoga: Its Theory and Practice