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low blood pr essur e.
Copyright © 2023 by Deepak Chopra
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OceanofPDF .comContents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Part I by Deepak Chopra, MD
Overview: Royal Y oga and the Light of Life
Week 1: Social Intelligence
Week 2: Emotional Intelligence
Week 3: Bringing the Light to Y our Body
Week 4: V ital Ener gy
Week 5: Staying in the Light
Week 6: The Power of Attention
Part II by Sarah Platt-Finger
The Asanas
Afterword: Where Do Y ou Go from Here? Dedication
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Authors
OceanofPDF .comPART I
By Deepak Chopra, MD
OceanofPDF .comOceanofPDF .comOVERVIEW
ROYAL YOGA AND THE LIGHT OF LIFE
Whatever you are doing to make your life better , Royal Yoga can bring
you more of everything you want. In that opening sentence lies the essence of this book, an immense
promise that isn’t just a matter of belief. For centuries in India, a path to
fulfillment has been proven to work. In Sanskrit it is called Raja Yoga, Raja
meaning “kingly ,” “royal,” or simply “the highest.” Royal Yoga is a
splendid way to put it. My aim is to show you why and how the path of
Royal Yoga is the highest and most important of all Yoga traditions,
explaining every thing in terms that apply to modern people and everyday
life. As far as I know , this goal is unique; I’ve never found another book
that accomplished it. We are talking about personal transformation that reaches beyond any
lifestyle you might choose to follow, beyond any approach to wellness and
healing, beyond  any faith or religion. Royal Yoga is univer sal and all-
embracing. The Yoga part of Royal Y oga needs a little clarification at the outset. The
basic Sanskrit word Yoga simply means to yoke, join, or unite (the English
word yoke can be directly traced back to its ancient roots). In my part of the
book (Part I), when I talk about Yoga, I mean the complete system  of Yoga,
namely , the union of all aspects  of life—physical, emotional, and spiritual. Only one part of the whole Yoga system contains the exercises that people
learn in yoga class (I will put the exercise part in lowercase and refer to the
system of Yoga with a capital Y). The system is often called “Yoga
philosophy ,” but that phrase sells the whole vision short. In Royal Yoga, no
aspect of existence is left out. Everyone is used to dividing life into distinctparts: mind, body , emotions, work, family , relationships, and so on. Those
are hand y divisi ons, of course. The experience of going to the doctor , the
gym, or yoga class can all be put in the compartment labeled “body .”
Raising a child, going on a family vacation, and planning for retirement can
all be placed in the compartment labeled “family .” As natural as it feels to
divide life in this way, this kind of compartmentalization creates a problem
that cuts to the very heart of existence. Royal Yoga holds that these compartments are false to the whol eness of
life. There are hidden possibilities that you will never reach, an intensity of
fulfillment you will never experience, when your life is chopped into
separate pieces like a loaf of bread cut into neat slices. Imag ine yourself
going through certain rituals and habits of your day—you get up, eat
breakfast, go to work, call frien ds, do things with your family , and so on. Take a moment to visualize some specific ways that might make your day
more satisfying . Perhaps a friend tells you a piece of good news, you
complete a project at work, or you watch your child or spouse smile at you
and you feel a rush of love. If you rewind these experiences and evaluate them through the prism of
Yoga, each event might look the same on the surface. But if you practice
Royal Yoga, what happens inside is transformed: You find that you are
living in the light. The effect is all-embracing, because if there is life, there
should be light. What is the light? For some this is a vague spiritual term that connotes
religion. A Christian might think  of the phrase, “Don’ t hide your light under
a bushel basket” or Jesus’ s declaration to his disciples, “You are the light of
the world.” In the rabbinical tradition of Judaism, the divine presence is
Shechinah, whic h brings the light of God into the world when it permeates
a devout or holy person. In many traditions, angelic beings are creatures of
light, and saintly people emanate (physically or symbolically) a pure white
light. Royal Yoga transcends these religious connotations while embracing
their deeper meaning. “Light ” is pure awareness; it is the cosmic
consciousness that creates and maintains the universe and everything in it.In practical terms, living in the light is about living consciously , and the
ultimate goal in life is to live only in the light, having cast off every form of
ignorance, pain, and suf fering. WHERE IS YOUR LIGHT? Having read this far, you might be either skeptical or inspired. Something as all-embracing as Royal Yoga feels strange, at the very least. I’m not offering these concep ts from the viewpoint of a true believer ,
because the vision of the Yoga tradition isn’t a set of beliefs. It is based on
experiences that everyone is already having. You already live in the light;
you just don’t live there all the time. Many people have experienced
happiness, joy, and sometimes even pure bliss. But, on the flip side, there
are dark experiences that bring confusion, pain, and suffering. Nonetheless,
the light of life is always with you because light is your very nature, your
true self. Royal Yoga is unique because it seeks to make everyday life ideal. There is infinite bliss as the starting  point, located in your true self. Whenever you experience less bliss, no bliss, or actual pain and suffering,
only one thing changes: how close you are to the light. This concept defines
the entire Yoga system, no matter how complex its traditions are in India. There are literally thousands of Yoga commentaries, and their intricacy can
be mind -bending. But we can cut through the complexity by focusing on
just one thing: living in the light. It is vital to understand what the ideal life is, according to Royal Yoga. What makes its approach so natural is that nothing achieved through Royal
Yoga is mystical or otherworldly . The self you experience today owes its
most valued experiences to your true self, which is already whole and
perfect. The Ideal Life: The Gifts of Royal Yoga1. Existence becomes blissful. You experience a joyful, energetic body; a loving,
compassionate heart; an alert, vibrant mind; and lightness of being. 2. You control your mental activity. You can generate thoughts, feelings, and
impulses that are evolutionary. You are the one who gives them meaning, and
therefore the whole world as you perceive it has meaning. 3. You see everyday life as a lucid dream, incredibly vivid but an illusion. You can
improve the dream without getting trapped in it. 4. Joy becomes the only measure of success because your essential nature is joy. It
is the beginning and endpoint of every journey. 5. You understand what it means to thrive. You savor the diversity of life, which
brings richness to your unfolding story. 6. You recognize that the point of arrival is always now. You can’t move to where
you are already standing—this is the experience of timelessness. 7. You recognize that you have no ﬁxed identity. Your identity is unique but always
evolving. It is your karmic story, but you don’t need to be bound by it. 8. You recognize gratitude as the sanest response to existence. It is insanity to
believe that existence is a problem. 9. You recognize that existence is lavish and abundant. 10. Grace becomes an everyday experience. It reveals itself by the perfect way that
every experience ﬁts together. Instead of brief glimpses of synchronicity, you
live in total synchronicity. Before we go any further , I’d like you to assess your experience s of the
light. Nothing is more important than knowing how much the light has
affected your life. Take the following self-assessment, and you will begin to
know yourself much better than most people do. Ten Ways to Be in the Light
Yoga asks you to identify entirely with the
light, which doesn’t happen all at once. The
light is glimpsed, to begin with, in memorable
experiences. Everyone has had them at one
time or another. The list on the following
pages includes the most important kinds of
experiences. To assess where you are right now, look at
each statement and circle the response thatapplies to you. The time frame isn’t critical—
some experiences might be very recent;
others very far back. The point is to recognize
moments of heightened experience. There are
no right or wrong responses. Just assess your
experience as objectively as you can. When in
doubt, choose the answer that ﬁrst comes to
mind. 1. I have experienced bliss. (Examples: a
peak experience of a joyful, energetic
body; a loving, compassionate heart; an
alert, vibrant mind; lightness of being.) Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
2. I feel in control of my mental experience—I
can have positive, creative thoughts
whenever I want. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
3. Life can feel like a dream, with something
hidden from sight that is very real and yet
mysterious. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
FrequentlyDon’t know
4. Much more than material success, I
measure my life by my level of happiness
and joy. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
5. I welcome a wide diversity of experiences
—they give my life real richness. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
6. I live in the present moment, without
reliving the past or anticipating the future. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
7. I experience myself in the ﬂow, adapting
easily to new situations. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
8. I experience gratitude.Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
9. I look upon life as abundant, offering
untold possibilities for fulﬁllment. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
10. I experience meaningful coincidences—
they tell me that everything happens for a
reason. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
ASSESSING YOUR ANSWERS
This questionnaire is about seeing yourself
according to the quality of your inner life. Being in the light is what ties together these
ten experiences. If you have a rich inner life,
you will likely mark “Frequently” more than half
the time. On the other hand, if you often
answered “Never” or “Rarely,” your inner life
isn’t fulﬁlling. The light has become blocked or
obscured. Most people will fall somewhere in
between the light and the dark. They areaware of their inner life, but don’t turn to it as a
great source of fulﬁllment. For most of us, positive experiences come
and go at will; we have little control over them. Fears, regrets, and painful memories seem to
have a life of their own. Yoga teaches us to
change the situation through the following
steps, which will become second nature as the
book unfolds:
You pay more attention to what is going on
inside you. You notice any experience of being in the
light. You value that experience. You begin to focus more and more on the
light, increasing it in your life. Living in the light is the most natural way to
live. It is easier to live more consciously than to
continue experiencing things unconsciously,
driven by habit, routine, old conditioning, and
denial. The habit of being more conscious will
emerge effortlessly and without pain and
discomfort if you keep in mind that the best
experiences in your life indicate that you have
been living in the light all along, while
struggling to get there. THIRTY DAYS OF ROYAL YOGALiving in the light can begin anytime you choose. The principles taught
in Royal Yoga are not difficult to learn, and over the next thirty days we can
cover all the major areas you need to understand. Traditionally , these areas
are called the eight limbs, or ashtangas , of Yoga. We are going to treat them
as eight stages of transformation. Here is how a map of the journey looks. Our thirty-day journey is
divided into six weeks, and each week gives you five days of participation
—the weekend is your time off, to reflect upon and absorb everything you
have learned. I give the traditi onal Sanskrit names for the eight limbs, but you don’t
need to memori ze them. What is important is the theme for each week,
beginning with Social Intelligence in Week 1, Emotional Intelligence in
Week 2, and so on. Living in the light involves awakening awareness, layer
by layer, until you reach your source, the true self, which is the light of pure
awareness. Here’ s the whole program at a glance. Week 1: Social Intelligence
(Stage of Transformation—Yama)
In the first week, you learn to find the light in your social world of
family , work, and relationships. Royal Yoga considers this the outer shell of
existence. You move through it with your own habits, rituals, likes, and
dislikes. Your personality is your identity , which has been adapted from
input and pressure from society . By bringing light and lightn ess to your
social self, you prepare the way for the later stages of the journey . Week 2: Emotional Intelligence
(Stage of Transformation—Niyama)
In the second week, you learn to bring light and lightness to your
emotional life. Royal Yoga considers this stage to be more personal than the
outer or social sphere, yet you are still involved with other peop le and yourfeelings toward them. When these feelings are purified, or brought into the
light, you are not dependent on other people to trigger negative emotions in
you. Victimhood and codependency are no longer the pitfalls they once
were. Week 3: Bringing the Light to Your Body
(Stage of Transformation—Asana)
In the third week, you learn to apply awareness to your body , bringing
light and lightness to how you sense your body . Yoga considers the body to
be a vehicle for consciousness. Just as a boat carries you acros s the ocean,
your body carries you across the ocean of experience. Everyone is already
on that journey . But, at a subtler level, your body is carry ing you to
wholeness and your true self. Royal Yoga teaches you to appreciate this
aspect, which unites body and mind in a mutual relationship, the bodymind. Week 4: Vital Energy
(Stage of Transformation—Pranayama)
In the fourth week, you learn to connect your breath with every  state of
the body mind. Royal Yoga considers the breath to be the carrier of life
energy. This energy animates your cells and organs, and brings vitality to
your thoughts and moods. At a subtle level, breathing in and out is the
bridge between all of creation “out there” and every experience “in here.”
Week 5: Staying in the Light
(Stage of Transformation—Pratyahara)
In the fifth week , you learn to make the light your home base, no longer
moving in and out of the light but always staying with it. Royal Yoga
considers this the most significa nt transformation; it is like a second birth. A new existence opens. Realizing that you belong in the light, you nowaccept without a doubt that being completely whole and healed is your
birthright. Week 6: The Power of Attention
(Stages of Transformation—Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi)
In the sixth week, the final three limbs are combined because they serve
a single theme: the power of attention. Simply by paying attention to any
thought, impulse , desire, or goal, you cause it to be fulfilled. Royal Yoga
considers that knowledge is power , and the deeper your knowledge of
consciousness and how it operates, the more power you posse ss. But this
isn’t knowledge in the sense of information or education. It is inner
knowing that depends upon nothing but living in the light. The creative
power of consciousness is revealed. If you want to, you can jump directly to Week 1 of the journey , whose
theme is Social Intelligence. But I’d like to expand a little more on why
Yoga is distinct as a unique method of self-transformation. “CHANGE YOURSELF, CHANGE THE WORLD”
Royal Yoga works—this has been proven over the centuries—and the
reason it works is radical. In fact, the basic principle of the whole Yoga
system is so revolutionary , it seems highly improbable that anyone would
pursue it. The principle is simply this: The world we think we live in is
unreal. Like characters in a movie or a novel, we are living a fictional
existence. Being  unreal, this world we accept causes every kind of problem
and suf fering. To return to your true self, you must understand how you got separated,
or lost, in the first place. Yoga places the blame on vrittis , a Sans krit word
that literally means “whirlpools, ” but that Yoga uses to describe every form
of ment al disturbance. The most revered text in Yoga is Patanjali’ s Yoga
Sutras , a text containi ng 195 aphorisms (sutras) outlining in authori tative
fashion the entire scope of Yoga in theory and practice. No teaching is moreimportant than the one concerni ng vrittis , which appears at the very outset
of the book. Here are the three opening sutras. 1. Now begins an exposition of Yoga. 2. Yoga is the cessation, or settling down, of the modiﬁcations of the mind (vrittis). 3. Then the knower is established in his own fundamental nature. That’ s our entire  journey in a nutshell. When the mind settles down into
a quiet state, free from every kind of mental activity (vritti ), the true self is
revealed. This is straightforward as a path to the ideal life. The radical part,
which is quite explosive, is packaged inside the word vritti , because,
according to Yoga, every middle stage between you and your source is just
a modification of the mind. The whole package of mind-made obstacles is
known as maya , which is generally translated as “illusion,” but includes
distractions, deceptions, and mistaken thoughts and beliefs, all of which
prevent us from experiencing the true self. Is this a convinc ing way of looking at your life? It is undeniable that the
mind creates suffering. The list of human troubles—war , crime, fear,
depression, loneliness, suicide—is long and it belongs to no other living
creature. It’s the part about the world being unreal that stops everyone. “Walk in front of a bus,” the skeptics scoff. “Then talk to me about how
unreal everything is.”
You might think there’ s no possible answer to that challenge. In fact,
there is, and we’ll come to it. Yoga isn’t pointing to an illusi on that will
vanish in a puff of smoke. Buses, mountains, clouds, cities, and all other
physical objects have their place, no matter what your worldview is. The
unreality Yoga talks about runs deeper . It is a false foundation that
undermines anything you try to build on it, like building a skyscraper on
sand. No matter how beautiful, elaborate, and architecturally  perfect the
skyscraper is, resting it on a foundation of sand guarantees that it will
topple. We need Yoga if we want to put a secure foundation under our lives,
because, if we don’t, eventually we will pay a price in pain and suffering. Ifyou want to base your life on reality instead of illusion, Yoga points to the
bedrock of existence: consciousness. We do not actually live in the physical
world, according to Yoga. We live in the world of experience, and every
experience takes place in consciousness. Nothing is more basic. The “real” reality is consciou sness. That truth gives us a reliable
starting point for being transformed. Next, we need the motivat ion to make
us want to move  forward. This is supplied by another radical idea: Change
yourself, and you will change the world. You are the only agent of change
that really counts. How do you create any change? By becoming more
aware. The journey that takes us deeper into reality is worth taking, just
because the more aware you are, the more things you can chang e—not just
the world but your body , mind, emotions, beliefs, habits, indeed, anything
you can think of. Yoga is so radical, it overturns everything you and I have accept ed since
we were  children. We’ve been chugging along year after year based on
completely hollow beliefs and assumptions. Some beliefs matter more than
others. These are known as “core beliefs,” and when your core beliefs are
wrong and misguided, trouble is always brewing—if not today , then in
some worrisome future. To bring them closer to home, I’ll list the core
beliefs we all take personally . FALSE CORE BELIEFS
I don’t really matter. I am small, ordinary, and insigniﬁcant. I deserve only so much love. At heart, I am probably unlovable. Life hasn’t been fair to me. That’s because life is unfair. If I don’t look out for number one, no one else will. There is much to fear in this world. Self-protection is very
important. If I show anyone that I am vulnerable, they will take advantage. I
need to seem strong and independent. The forces of Nature are all-powerful. I will be fortunate if some
natural disaster doesn’t befall me.The universe is a vast, cold, empty void. The Earth and
everyone on it are less than a speck of dust, a product of
random events going back to the Big Bang. These beliefs undermine everyone’ s life. They are ingrained in us early
on, and they have sunk so deep into our sense of self that they hardly
deserve a second glance. If you accept the unreality that Yoga rejects, your core beliefs will seem
completely logic al. Look around you or listen to the twenty-fou r-hour news
cycle. Isn’t life unfair? Don’ t each of us deserve only a limited amount of
love? Isn’ t the Earth a speck of dust floating in a cold, empty void? As you’ll see over the next thirty days, Royal Yoga holds out an ideal
life based on a new set of core beliefs. These are literally the opposite of the
false core beliefs we have all been mistakenly living by . TRUE CORE BELIEFS
Your existence is based on an inﬁnite ﬁeld of consciousness. It
is your source. Your true self has access to inﬁnite possibilities. At your source, you are connected to inﬁnite love and bliss. Your true self is immune to fear, depression, aging, and death. You are always completely safe. There is nothing to worry
about. You have no need to project an image of strength and
independence. You have no need to project any image at
all. The Earth and everything on it have a unique place in the
tapestry of reality, woven by cosmic co nsciousness. When people read these statements about an ideal life, they immediately
assume they are merely someone else’s beliefs, like the beliefs that underlie
organized religion. Many would  say that the entire issue of spirituality restsupon belief alone. It is impossib le to accept Christianity unless you affirm
the divinity of the resurrected Jesus, or so St. Paul declared in his letters to
the early churches. It is imposs ible to accept Buddhism unless you affirm
the Buddha’ s enlightenment and the existence of Nirvana. In the same way,
to accept Yoga, you must affirm your own infinite standing in creation. From the perspective of everyday life, this seems like too much to swallow . But nothing about the ideal life is a belief akin to religious  beliefs. What’ s at stake is reality . Beliefs  pertain to how you feel about reality. Yoga
declares as a fact that every human being is embedded in a field of infinite
potential. By squeezing our infinite potential down into small, manageable
compartments, we are guilty only of being part of the mainstream of human
beings. But Yoga doesn’ t care about the mainstream or about how you have
lived in the past. In the worldvie w of Yoga, the infinite is always with us; in
fact, it is our source. Nothing  we do to squeeze our lives down to a
manageable size has the slightes t effect on reality , and the highest reality is
what Royal Y oga is ultimately all about. OceanofPDF .comWEEK 1
SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE
(Limb of Yoga: Yamas)THIS PART OF THE JOURNEY
Royal Yoga begins by impro ving the social life you lead. Your
interaction with other people reflects a lot about you. Inner forces are made
visible, and it is these inner forces that dictate what happens to your social
self, the self you show the world. Very few peopl e look at the reflections life gives them and see what
they’d like to see. Even the people closest to us don’t respond to us without
adding their own slant—their own opinions, expectations, and beliefs—to
what we say or do. W e’ll begin the journey of Royal Y oga by untangling the
mixed reflections our social self is creating, because that’s the only way to
change how we relate to others and how they respond to us. We have a
choice: Our social self can be radiant with light and lightness, or it can
simply be an outer shell, created to serve our ego and burni sh our self-
image. In short,  Week 1 is about the story we are living and how to create a
better story , one that reflects the levels of the self that are closer to our
source. MONDAY
Upgrading Your Story
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
I create the peace that surrounds me. I create the peace that surrounds me. If your life story has been perfect up to now, there is no need to turn to
Yoga to improve upon perfectio n. Everyone’ s personal story is created out
of light and shadow . We defen d ourselves against pain, which makes us
fearful of the future, and against the past, which brings back painful
moments. These self-imposed restraints are the focus of the first limb ofYoga, which Patanjali calls yamas , often translated to mean “guidelines” or
“rules of conduct .”
Note: I will make passing reference to Patanjali and his definitive work,
the Yoga Sutras , but keep in mind that the traditional terminology isn’t
critical—only results are critical. When you are aware of the self-imposed constraints you have placed on
yourself, you can upgrade your story . As you progress limb to limb in Royal
Yoga, the time will come when all stories you have bought into will melt
away . But it is also true that you can’t find the light when you are the one
blocking it, and that’ s what unhappy stories do. An upgraded story is easier to enjoy and therefore easier to escape from
when the time comes. That’ s not a mystical statement. If you have a happy
childhood, it is much easier to leave it behind than an unhappy  childhood,
which keeps returning to block future happiness. Every spiritual tradition describ es “right living” as an importa nt goal,
and Yoga agrees. The yamas , however , are not a series of ethical teachings. Right living  in Yoga means “bringing in the light of awareness to decrease
the thing s that block fulfillment. ” The five yamas , as interpreted for modern
life, are the major keys to right living:
1. Treating everyone with peace and nonviolence. 2. Acting and speaking your own truth. 3. Acting unselﬁshly, without envy, greed, or covetousness. 4. Radiating a presence of purity and innocence. 5. Acting with self-reliance, neither clinging nor creating dependence in others. Today is about the first yama , which asks you to live in peace with
others. The goal is to relate peacefully with everyone. That is the first and
most basic upgrade to your story . Yoga’s call for nonviolence is frequently misunderstood because people
think they aren’ t spiritual unless they experience serenity and the peace that
surpasses understanding. With that expectation in mind, they wind up
patiently holding back their anger , even when it is justified, pretending to bemore at peace than they really are, and feeling guilty about getting into
arguments and engaging in conflict. Inner peace is a wonderful state, but let’s be clear: Our journe y hasn’ t
gotten there yet. The first limb of Yoga is about social tactics—using your
intelligence to bring more light and lightness into the story you are now
living. The tactics for creating a peaceful life are available to everyone, as
follows:
THE PRACTICES OF PEACE
Don’t create stress for yourself and others. Look for areas of agreement instead of areas of discord. Take responsibility for your own anger and resentment. Don’t
unleash them on other people. Get out of the habit of blaming others. Be aware of your impulse to judge, criticize, and get offended. Don’t indulge in the impulse whenever possible. Distance yourself from hostile people and hostile situations. If you adopt these practices, you won’ t be leading a saintly life. You
will have succeeded in right living, however , which, at this stage is a huge
step in your evolution. Exercise
Take time to look over the pract ices of peace listed above, and honestly
ask yourself how well you are practicing them. Social intelligence is a skill,
and, like all skills, it can be learned. Learning doesn’ t come all at once but
in pieces, so take a single strate gy from the list, and set your own learning
curve. Anger is a good one to begin with, because, along with fear, it is one
of the two basic negative emotions. Yama asks you to be responsible for your anger , not to pass it along,
unleash it on the unwary , or channel it as blame toward another . To makepractical use of this yama , start following right tactics. When you feel yourself getting angry, pause and stop at the
ﬁrst sign that you are losing your temper. Be with the impulse. Sit in your awareness for just a moment. Pausing to be aware is a powerful way to defuse any self-defeating
behavior . If after pausing your anger comes out anyway , you have still
made a start. When you are calmer , ask if your outburst made the situation
better . If you can see clearly that it didn’ t—it probably made the situation
worse—you have taken another step toward inner awareness. Yoga teaches that all your beha viors are subject to your contro l. If you
want the practices of peace to bring peace under your control, follow the
two steps I mentioned for anger . Namely , pause when you find yourself not
acting peacefull y. Then, if you did not manage to control that behavior ,
pause and ask yourself if you improved the situation or made it worse. Even though I will be unfolding  Yoga one week at a time, its teachings
are meant for a lifetime. The practices of peace work. They will definitely
upgrade your story . Don’ t press ure yourself to adopt them. Just make them
part of your awareness as you grow in social intelligence. TUESDAY
Living Your Truth
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
I trust the truth to show me the way. I trust the truth to show me the way. The second yama  is about speakin g and acting from our own truth. The
social self is very good at bendi ng the truth. Many of us have practiced “goalong to get along,” which taught us not to say what’ s on our minds. We
fear retaliation if we tell certain people the painful truth about their
shortcomings. We cringe at the notion that someone else will embarrass or
humiliate us by exposing our own faults. The second yama  addresses the
messy relationship all of us have with the truth. The problem begins with the difference between two kinds of truth—
relative truth and absolute truth. When you live in the light, absolute
truth upholds you. For example , it is an absolute truth that love is eternal,
that life is infinitely abundant, and that life is meant to be lived without
struggle. When you are merged with your true self, absolute truth is who
you are. But your social self deals in relative truths. Relative truth causes more
trouble than it resolves; therefo re, you need to use the right tactics that
apply to this part of your story . Relative truth is defined by the situation you
find yourself in. A parent scoldi ng a child for misbehaving isn’t in the same
situation as an adult scolding another adult. In the first case, parental
guidance truthfully teaches right from wrong. In the second case, the
scolding is an affront, because one adult doesn’ t have the right to impose
his moral values on another adult. Relative truth isn’t stable or reliable. It is constantly open to
disagreement. Being certain that you are right and someone else is wrong
creates endless hostility in traffic jams, religion, politics, and family life. Yet each person justifies their participation in the hostilities by feeling that
they have truth on their side. To upgrade your story in this area, Royal Yoga
provides essential tactics to increase social intelligence. THE PRACTICES OF TRUTH
Abandon the certainty that you are always right. Allow the possibility that everyone has their own truth. Hold on to your truth in silence. Don’t rush to broadcast it. Don’t make other people wrong.Realize that your truth exists to bring light into your life and
those around you. Don’t use “I’m only telling the truth” as a cover for blame,
criticism, and discord. When your truth is compatible with the light, it will create no problems
for you. When your truth is a disguise for the desire to wound, criticize, and
blame other people, you are not even practicing relative truth—you are
lying to yourself instead. Exercise
Glance over the list of practices for living your truth. Take an honest
look at how well you are following these practices. The first step, as noted
earlier , is to pause and stop yourself from following an impulse that would
make the situati on worse. The second step is to reflect afterward if your
response helped the situation. For exam ple, imagine that you are talking to a friend or family member
whose beliefs you strongly disagree with. The most sensitive topics tend to
be the familiar ones: religion, politics, and money . You feel an impulse to
set this person straight, acting out of the certainty that you know the truth. This certainty is a sure sign that you are using relative truth for the wrong
ends. There is no possibility that you will set the other person straight. You
will be creating resistance and hostility instead. The stress level  for both of
you will rise. How do you know that those negative reactions will be the outcome? Social intelligen ce tells you so. Bashing someone over the head with your
truth is a perfect example of doing more of what never worked in the first
place. By holding back, you are choosing a higher truth, and the higher
truth is that bringing light to any situation begins by not increasing the
darkness. WEDNESDAYBeing Yourself
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
I embrace the wholeness of myself. I embrace the wholeness of myself. The third yama  is abou t acting unselfishly , without envy , jealousy ,
greed, or coveto usness. What makes this guidance hard to follow  is that we
are constantly comparing our stories to someone else’s. The rich, powerful,
and gifted seem to exist to fuel envy , and when we are drive n by social
climbing and ambition, these motivations typically come from a desire not
to be seen as inferior or to be left behind. As a result, “I want your story
instead of mine” is easier to indulge than upgrading your own story . Royal Yoga teaches that stories are just temporary phases. The things
you envy and covet are not the values of the true self. You can choose to
envy the rich and famous, and this might provide you with motivation to
claw and compete for your chance at the golden ring. But in your fierce
focus and determination, you will lose sight of the wholeness of life. While we use the word wholeness  to refer to everything from whole
foods to holistic medicine, Yoga has a unique view of it. The Yogic view is
that you are already whole but don’t realize it. Instead of striving to
overcome your inner struggle, along with the beliefs and condi tioning of a
lifetime, Royal Yoga advises only one thing, and that thing is to be yourself,
because no other behavior will open the way to realizing your true self. The practices of the yamas  are like a testing ground to determine if
Yoga’s view of wholeness literally works. By practicing the third yama , you
do away  with envy , greed, and covetousness simply by being yourself,
moving away from the habits that keep you from knowing who you really
are. THE PRACTICES OF BEING YOURSELF
Stop comparing yourself to others.Don’t depend on other people to validate you. Set aside the criticism and judgments of others. Get beyond self-judgment. Accept who you are and appreciate what you have to offer. Give everyone the space to be themselves. Assume that all people, in their essence, are whole. The key to these practices is to live without comparing yourself to
anyone else. In classic Yoga this yama  is specifically about not being
envious and covetous. I’ve expanded the theme for modern life, in which
mass media floods us with reasons to feel inadequate because we aren’ t as
rich, beautiful, smart, or talented as someone else; therefore, we feel the
need to acquire more and more of the things we lack. Endless consumerism
offers substitutes for embracing  who we are. Craving the next iPhone, a
bigger SUV, more premium channels on your smart TV, and all the rest of
the flashy material things around us is a hollow surrogate for the true self. Royal Yoga isn’t telling you to look at your present life and call it
perfect—the yamas  are all about upgrading your story . Approach your life
with an attitude of “I am enough in myself,” instead of an attitude of
insecurity and lack. Social intelligence tells us that such a negative
starting point won’ t bring a better life; it only makes your present life less
rewarding. Exercise
You cannot be yourself if you are constantly distracted. Today’ s
exercise is about becoming more aware of those times when you are
stressed, worried, overwhelmed, confused, or distracted in any way. The
moment you notice that you are feeling any of these things, find a moment
to be alone in a quiet place. Take a few deep breaths, close your eyes, and center your attention in
the region of your heart. Easily follow your breathing as you breathe in and
out. Don’t try to control or suppress any thoughts that arise. Don’t try tochange anything. Just be easy with the moment as it presents itself because
that’s the basis for a life in wholeness. This simple practice of centering yourself will reappear over and over
again on our journey . No matter which limb of Yoga you are focused on, it
is crucia l for the experience to be natural and easy. Nothing is more natural
or easier than being yourself. Your sense of self is your lifelong companion,
and it will bring  immense rewards as you begin to realize that the self you
sense is the true self. THURSDAY
The Value of Innocence
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
I treat every day like a new world. I treat every day like a new world. The fourth yama  is abou t radiatin g a presence of purity and innocence. The contrast with modern life could hardly be more glaring. As time moves
inexorably forw ard from the moment we are born, innocence is left behind. Our experiences  teach us abou t the risks and obstacles in life, we stop
trusting automa tically and begin to distrust just as automati cally . Most
people would agree with this thumbnail sketch, but Royal Yoga pushes
back. Reality is timeless, and the things we lose, such as innocence and
trust, shouldn’ t be lost. They fade from our lives because we buy into a
scheme that everyone agrees on, the scheme that idealizes youth  and dreads
the ravages of time. Right now, you can stop buying  into the illusion that your life is ruled
by the clock and the calendar . The light is always present; every day is a
new beginning; and innocenc e can always be reborn. Adopt those
principles, and your behavior will follow suit.As applied to your social self, innocence involves a set of practi ces, just
as all the yamas  do. THE PRACTICES OF INNOCENCE
Don’t bring old expectations to new situations. Don’t fear the present because of bad experiences in your
past. Practice trust, including the ability to trust yourself. Be open to other people as your default, rather than being
defensive or suspicious of them. Be attuned to the mood of people around you. Don’t impose
your own mood on them. In place of trying to control other people and the events of the
day, give them space to unfold the way they want to. As with the other yamas , these princip les are based on social
intelligence. You are not aiming to change your inner beliefs  and habits. That’ s why the word tactics  applies. Yet there are deeper levels to the
yamas , and one level is about the proper use of energy. The connection  with
innocence isn’ t obvious, so let me explain. Royal Yoga teaches that energy you expend during the day is yours to
control and, as you become better at controlling it, more energy is provided. This applies to every kind of energy—physical, mental, and emotional. A
good example is the energy of love. Falling in love is a disor ganized state,
known as “infatuation.” When you are infatuated, nothing matters but the
beloved, and all your ener gies are directed at your beloved, including sexual
energy. When you are caught up in infatuation, the other aspects of daily
life get neglected. At the opposite end of the spectrum is a loveless
existence. None  of the joy and vibrancy of love is present; the other aspects
of life get all your attention. Yet there  is a stage of mature love in which a steady flow of both loving
and sexual energy is present. Two people share in the contentment and trustthat mature love brings, and their love evolves into deeper levels of caring
and appreciation. The connection to innocence happens because both
people are open to the other , not building up old resentments, hurts,
disagreements, and a feeling of “same old, same old.”
Innocence is the same as having no agenda. Without falling in love, you
can treat everyone in your life with openness and appreciation. That’ s a
mark of social intelligence, because you are using your physi cal, mental,
and emotional energy without exhausting yourself on the one hand or being
ruled by inertia on the other . In classic Yoga, the fourth yama  is associated
with sexual chastity , but for modern people, the real issue is not sexual
innocence and purity but the right use of every kind of ener gy. Exercise
Make a list of the people and situations where you are wasting your
energy or using it ineffectually . The telltale signs are that your efforts are
getting you nowhere; you feel exhausted; frustration is always present; and
you keep trying  too hard without results. Almost always there is also a
buildup of low expectations and the memory of past failure and frustration. Your list might include a family member who never does their chores, a
child you constantly worry about, or a coworker who keeps  demanding
your time in trivial ways. Now look at the person or situa tion from the viewpoint of your energy
and how you expend it. Use the categories of physical, mental, and
emotional energy. For instance, maybe a friend of yours is consistently late,
and this inconsid erate behavior causes you a lot of irritation. Every time the
behavior is repeated, that leaves you out of sorts, feeling drained and
regretting setting up the get-together . But it is import ant to realize that your energy is not being drained or
exploited by someone else. It is being drained and exploited by you. Your response has stopped being open, and you are pursuing, however
silently , an agenda of being long-suf fering that complements your friend’ s
agenda of inconsideration. There is always a better way to deal with yourown energy so that no agenda is involved. Look at the practices listed for
the fourth yama  and take the first step to applying at least one of them. Measure your success by how your own energy level improves—that’ s the
goal of this yama . FRIDAY
The Joy of Letting Go
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
I feel no need to cling or grasp. I feel no need to cling or grasp. The fifth yama  is about acting with self-reliance, neither clinging nor
creating dependence in others. Not clinging is synonymous with letting go. Everyone has experienced finall y letting go after the struggle of holding on
has exhausted itself. The moment of letting go brings a sigh of relief. A
burden has been lifted, and you are free to move on. The experience of
letting go is so gratifying, you wonder why people do the oppos ite, holding
on to grudges, resentments, bad relationships, self-defeating habits, and so
on. Royal Yoga devotes the last yama  to non-clinging because the inability
to let go is age-old and has many tentacles. Your social self has been trained to adopt the ego’s agenda, which can
be simply stated as “more for me.” We grasp, cling, and hold on as a reflex,
our default for getting more  money , more love, more pleasurable
experiences to ward off the threat of loss. In psychological terms, the result
of clingi ng, when it happens in a relationship, is codependency . Two people
cling to each other , even though what the ego wants—love, sexual
gratification, security , and respect—isn’ t being delivered anymore. The
habit of clinging  has taken over without anything positive to show for it. “But at least we stayed together” is the rationale behind codependent
relationships.Royal Yoga’s aim is to break the habit of clinging, whether it is in the
early or late stages. Social intelligence teaches that when you have your
own space and you give space to others, everyone benefits. The practices of
non-clinging spring from this realization. THE PRACTICES OF NON-CLINGING
Ask for the space you need from other people. Give others the
same space before they have to ask. Don’t encourage someone to cling to you out of pity or
superiority. Practice self-reliance and independence. Take responsibility for your life, ﬁnding solutions on your own. Avoid relationships where one person dominates the other. Drop the need to control. Don’t be grasping about money and possessions. Choose
generosity whenever you can. If you apply these practices in daily life, a change starts to occur. You
catch yourself clinging in ways that are not productive and most of the time
are self-defeatin g. It is nearly impossible to follow the ego’s agenda of
“more for me” without at the same time clinging to what you acquire,
whether it is money and possessions or status and family . Relationships form the acid test. Social intelligence is realistic. It
recognizes that most people have a strong streak of dependency . They are
more than willing to be led by a stronger , more dominant person. They feel
too weak or insecure to practice self-reliance. In the face of this reality ,
many relationships are about finding the “missing piece.” Two people find
mutual support because they supply what the other person is lacking. Missing-piece relationships are perhaps the most common, and they can
bring a sense of security and belonging. The pitfall is the illusion of being
whole. Two incomplete people do not make a whole, and wholeness is the
goal of Yoga. Yet it is also possible that with loving support, two people canencourage each other to evolve and fulfill the wholeness that is found in the
true self. Exercise
The temptation  to cling to someone else is strong when we feel
incomplete in ourselves. Take a look at your spouse or partner (if you’re
single, choose your closest friend or family member) and list the ways in
which you feel he or she is better than you. Is this person smarter, more
creative, more popular , or a higher earner? Do they seem more self-
confident than you or more successful at getting along with others? Your list shows you where you have a missing piece, a hole in your self-
esteem. Now think of ways to fill these holes yourself. Begin by not
clinging to the other person. It is certainly good to admire your spouse or
friend for their positive qualitie s. But you aren’ t a sponge that can soak
those qualities up. Earning them for yourself is the only way . What you are looking for in any relationship is mutual respe ct, first
from your spouse or friend, but also from others, who might be tempted to
think, “He’ s smart enough for both of us” or “She’ s got more than enough
money for two.” Inequality in money , job success, and social standing
destabilizes a mutual relationshi p. Think about how you can find something
valuable that you can contribute; it should be something that makes you feel
more self-suf ficient and worthy . You don’t have to even the balance by competing—this tactic rarely
works. Let your partner or friend bask in the qualities that are special about
them, while developing in yours elf the qualities that make you special. The
values that matter most are love, compassion, creativity , service, joy,
intelligence, personal evolution,  and self-awareness. All of them  belong to
your true self, and when you pursue these values as a social self, you begin
to connect more closely to your true self, which is your source. ADVANCED EXPLORATIONIf you want to go more deeply into classic Yoga, there are many  sources
of information about the yamas , beginning with all the free information
online. Look under the Sanskrit names for the yamas , which are given
below with their traditional translations. Ahimsa: Non-violence
Satya: Truthfulness
Asteya: Non-covetousness
Brahmacharya: Sexual restraint
Aparigraha: Non-grasping, non-clinging
OceanofPDF .comWEEK 2
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
(Limb of Yoga: Niyamas)THIS PART OF THE JOURNEY
In Week 1 we dealt with your social self, which is how you present
yourself to the world and other people. In Week 2 we move on to your
emotional self, which relates to you personally and privately . Only you
know how you feel and what makes you happy or unhappy . The journey of
Royal Yoga is about moving ever closer to your true self. Every step of the
way makes the light brighter and removes another layer of ment al obstacles
(vrittis ) that block the light. These two steps never change. The second limb of Y oga outlines the practices known as niyamas . They
are complement ary to yamas , since both involve “right living.” But the five
niyamas  are subtler and more intimate. Everyone’ s emotions are a tangle of
positive and negative feelings, which make them a perfect area for learning
how to distinguish the light from the darkness. This happens when we
develop our emotional intellige nce. Everyone has emotional intelligence,
but it’s usually at a level not very far advanced from childhood. Our
emotions come and go without any sort of conscious control. Before you can control your emotions, you first need to understand
what contr ol means. It doesn ’t mean suppressing, pushing down, or denying
those feelings you find undesira ble and don’t want to experien ce. Instead,
emotional contr ol, as Yoga sees it, means finding the core of bliss that is
your true self and returning to it. The five niyamas  give you the skills to
accomplish this. MONDAY
Puriﬁed Emotions
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
I experience the light through my emotions. I experience the light through my emotions.In most people’ s lives, their emotions control them, rather than the other
way around. The sharp rise in anxiety and depression over the past few
decades provides stark evidenc e of this. It therefore sounds strange, even
unbelievable, that Royal Yoga asks us to bring our emotions under control. Fear, worry , and anxiety should  not be allowed to roam the mind at will. Grief and sadne ss should not overwhelm us to the point of paralysis and
helplessness. These conditions come about, according to Yoga, because of
impressions made on the emotional self. Emotional wounds are just as real
as physi cal ones, but the impres sions Yoga describes, known as samskaras ,
are invisible, and quite often we have no memory of how or when they
occurred. Even without knowing where they came from, these holdove rs from
your past are the obstacles that block the light. In emotional terms, the light
is experienced as bliss. When your emotional self is in direct contact with
your true self, you will experience bliss as a normal state. The five niyamas
give you the skills to make that connection. Each skill stren gthens your
emotional intelligence, as follows:
1. Observing mental hygiene, which puriﬁes the emotions
2. Learning to be contented, self-accepting, and accepting of other people
3. Transforming old, outworn emotional habits
4. Clearly understanding that your true self is real, tangible, and powerful
5. Recognizing your higher reality and surrendering to it
Royal Yoga is based on the power of consciousness, which includes the
power to heal the past. If your emotional life is spent entirely in the present,
the past is autom atically healed— you don’t return there anymore. The trick
isn’t how to be in the present moment—you are there anytime you focus on
whatever is before you, whether you’re boiling an egg, bringing a child
home from school, or meeting a deadline at work. The trick is to remain in the present. The mind is thrown out of present-
moment awareness by all kinds of distractions. The niyamas  are concerned
with emotional distractions. The worst of these are negative emotions thatarise spontaneously , including fear, worry , shame, guilt, ange r, and their
nasty relations. Therefore, the first niyama  is about purifying your emotions to rid them
of these toxic distractions. Until it is distorted by vrittis , awareness, by its
very nature, is unblemished, or pure. How does this relate to emotions? Your emotional self is where old wounds are stored as impressions. Whatever makes  these impressions dark, such as humiliations, shame, and
guilt from the past, are the impurities that need healing. THE PRACTICES FOR EMOTIONAL HEALING
Favor your positive emotions. Reject the memory of old hurts. Face your feelings honestly without denying or repressing
them. Realize that the past is gone, except as an illusion of memory. Pursue friendships that accentuate positive emotions. Be easy with yourself, not putting pressure on yourself to
change. Look at your emotions with a measure of detachment. Don’t
overly indulge or exaggerate them. Return to bliss as often as you can. Untrain your old habitual emotional responses. All these practices are based on bliss as a permanent reality and
distorted aware ness as temporary . What follows is that our negative
emotions are learned responses. Somewhere in our past we started favoring,
usually in small ways, being  sad, helpless, worried, victimized, or
depressed, just to name the most common emotional habits. These small
beginnings began to cascade the more we relied on them. What started out
as defensive and protective beha vior reaches a tipping point. (Passivity , for
example, is a psychological form of playing possum, defending yourself bynot attracting attention.) After that, you have trained your emotional self to
use this learned behavior all the time. In that context, the purity called for in the first niyama  is a clean slate,
and the practice s involved are reminders that you can clean the slate—
whatever is learned can be unlearned. The opposite of purity is toxicity , and
the first niyama  can be expressed as freeing yourself from toxicity . THE PRACTICES FOR CLEARING TOXINS
Expose yourself to uplifting people and experiences. Go out into Nature as much as possible. Get 8 to 9 hours of steady good sleep every night. Avoid physical toxins, such as alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. Keep away from friends and family with persistent negative
attitudes. Work in a happy, positive environment. Get enough physical activity every day to feel ﬂexible and
active. Your body has natural mechanisms for detoxifying itself. This has long
been recognized  physically through the action of organs like the kidneys,
which remove toxins from the blood. But there is a mental and
psychological connection, too, because it was discovered that the brain uses
sleep to clear away toxic debris from the previous day . The first niyama  goes a level deeper , to the spiritual state of purity ,
which is based on pure awareness. But deeper  also means “expanded,”
because Yoga teaches that awareness is the ultimate healer , no matter at
what level it occurs. Exercise
With pen and paper in hand, go over the two lists of practices for
emotional healin g and clearing toxins. Rate yourself on how well you think
you are doing in both areas. Take one of your strongest points and writedown ways you can expand it. Having done that, write down your weakest
point and write down how to improve it. Perhaps your weakest point is that you let old memories of past hurts
return too much . You can untrai n yourself by adopting the habit of looking
these memories in the eye and silently saying, “I don’t need you anymore.”
You can sit and center yourself in a simple breathing meditation until the
memory subside s. You can get up and take a few moments to stretch and
move around, which is often quite effective in making negative thoughts
dissipate naturally . Your strongest points are likely to be much easier to address—simply
do more of the things that inspire you and you will naturally bring out an
experience of bliss. So why engage in this exercise? Writing down your
strong points reminds you not to take them for granted and forget to
reinforce them. TUESDAY
Finding Self-Acceptance
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
Being myself brings contentment. Being myself brings contentment. The second niyama  is abou t learning to be contented, self-accepting,
and accepting of other people. A basic teaching in Royal Yoga is that you
cannot reach your true self without making peace with your other selves
first. The easiest way to understand this is by looking at the opposite. If you
are disco ntented with your emotional life, your discontent will nag at you
about the same emotional issues over and over again. Like a magnet, your
mind will be attracted back to your unresolved anger , resentment, envy , and
fear. The impres sions of the past (samskaras ) exist to attract your attention,
not to hurt you but to motivate you to seek change.Discontent is not enough on its own to drive a person forward on the
spiritual path. You cannot get beyond emotional pain by dwelling on it;
that’s a basic insight of emotional intelligence. The probl em is that
discontent only serves to fuel more discontent. There has to be the added
element provided by the second niyama , which focuses on finding
contentment and self-acceptance here and now . THE PRACTICES FOR SELF-ACCEPTANCE
Remind yourself of your own goodness and worth. Reject any
opinion to the contrary, either from yourself or from others. Find something every day to be contented with. Reinforce your happy experiences. Don’t dwell on your unhappy experiences. Be around people who have high self-esteem. Choose activities that make you feel good about yourself. Be vigilant that you don’t fall into false self-worth (the
symptoms are vanity, egotism, pride, arrogance, and
boasting). Don’t make other people feel small so that you can feel bigger. The underlying teaching behind all these practices is that your
emotional self exists to bring fulfillment. You aren’ t here to be important,
successful, and respected while feeling miserable inside. You aren’t here to
pursue pleasure or to distract yourself from pain. Even though your
emotional self isn’t your true self, it should mirror your true self, which is
silently sending you impulses of bliss and total self-acceptance. The niyamas  are also defined by what you shouldn’ t do if your aim is
right living. Being aware of what not to do is just as productive as knowing
the practices for self-acceptance. Emotional intelligence contains both. The
opposite of self-acceptance is low self-esteem, so this is the area to focus
on.WAYS YOU LOWER YOUR SELF-ESTEEM
Comparing yourself unfavorably to other people. Reminding yourself of your shortcomings. Condemning all your mistakes, however trivial. Setting up an ideal of perfection that you will never attain. Being unreasonable in the demands you place on yourself. Holding on to old experiences of guilt and shame. Pretending to be better than you actually think you are. Deprecating yourself in moments of false modesty. I’ve offered many specifics in these two lists, yet emotional intelligence
isn’t difficult to come by, nor is self-acceptance. Just keep in mind that your
emotional life isn’t the be-all and end-all of existence. By their nature,
emotions rise and fall. If you accept this basic fact—that your feelings are
transient and can be mercurial, even on your best days—half the job of self-
acceptance is done. You have achieved a measure of detachment, which
allows you not to be so consumed by your feelings, especially the negative
ones; they are events in your mental activity , not aspects of your essential
true self. You are never going to have a blissful emotional life by struggling with
your emotions or trying to escape them, either . This is one area where
allowing life to unfold naturally , without interference, is very ef fective. Exercise
The single most important practice for contentment is not to resist the
flow of life. In other words, take things as they come. The opposite of this
is to offer resistance. Pause to reflect on the people you tend to resist in
various ways. Often, they are the people who are closest to you, whether
family member s, colleagues, or even friends. Consider the kinds of
resistance that are casually practiced. They include:
Bickering and argumentsUnresolved disagreements
Rejection
Ridicule
Resentment
Feeling either superior or inferior
Pushing people away
Expressing a lack of respect
Nagging
Indulging in petty criticisms
Emotional intelligence teaches that resisting others contributes to your
own lack of contentment and self-acceptance. One way of increasing
contentment in your life is to back down from unnecessary habitual
resistance. Try using the princip le of opposites. For instance, if you realize
that you can be highly critical, begin practicing criticism’ s oppo site: praise. Instead of pointing out someone ’s flaws or complaining, take a breath and
offer a word of admiration or encouragement. Using this simple tactic
becomes your way of contributing to the flow of life. WEDNESDAY
The Fire of Transformation
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
I allow the light to create transformation. I allow the light to create transformation. The third niyama  is abou t transforming your old emotional habits. Habits block the light by forcing you to react automatically without
consciously being in control. In classic Yoga, the lasting impressions that
rob us of choice are like seeds that must be burned away . The burning is
done by awareness itself, using the light’ s ability to purify the mind. It isalso taught that the fire of trans formation burns away ignorance . The point
here is that the obstacles that keep us from living in the light are frozen bits
of consciousness. Therefore, only consciousness can melt them away . Old form s must  be destroyed to make room for the new. This makes
perfect sense emotionally . If you are consumed with resentment about a
failed relationship, a bad boss, or an unfair monetary loss, you can’t move
on until the emotion you are stuck in is dissipated. There is considerable misunderstanding about how the process works,
however , and words like fire, destr oy, and burn  can mislead someone into
thinking that some kind of violence is involved. In many religious traditions
the ritual of mortifying the flesh had the intention of purifying the spirit,
using the body’ s pain as the fire. Fortunately , such rituals are irrelevant to
modern life. Simply by focusing your awareness, you can begin to burn
away the vrittis  that block your true self. It takes dedication to achieve
transformation. Focus is a necessity . We are all familiar with how focus works whenever we become
absorbed in a game or hobby . Focusing for hours at a time without feeling
any strain is entirely natural. Royal Yoga teaches that experiences like these
are gateways to the true self. Becoming absorbed in the mom ent comes
naturally , so the only change is that you focus inwardly . Then you can allow
your awareness to do what it already wants to do, which is to find the light. The practices of the third niyama  expand upon this basic insight. THE PRACTICES OF SELF-TRANSFORMATION
Have an interest in ﬁnding your true self. Enjoy going inside. Value every experience of being in the light. Don’t look for fulﬁllment in the outside world. Make conscious choices, instead of following unconscious
habit and routine. Welcome change, instead of resisting it. See every experience as a mirror of yourself.Regularly meditate. Take the opportunity for “in time” and “down time” every day. These are all gentle practices, but the profoundest transformation is
gentle.
Living_In_The_Light_by_Deepak_Chopra.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        OceanofPDF. comPlease consult your doctor befor e practicing the yoga poses in this book,
especially if you ar e pregnant, have cervical spine issues, or have high or
low blood pr essur e. Copyright © 2023 by Deepak Chopra
All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Harmony Books, an imprint of Random
House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New Y ork. HarmonyBooks. com
RandomHouseBooks. com
Harmony Books is a registered trademark, and the Circle colophon is a
trademark of Penguin Random House LLC. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon
request. ISBN 9780593235423
Ebook ISBN 9780593235430
Book design, adapted for ebook: Andr ea Lau
Illustrations: Stephanie Singleton
This page  photograph: Makenna Colón
Cover design: Kathleen L ynch/Black Kat Design
Cover art: Benjavisa/iStock/Getty Images
ep_prh_6. 0_142201960_c0_r0
OceanofPDF. comContents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Part I by Deepak Chopra, MD
Overview: Royal Y oga and the Light of Life
Week 1: Social Intelligence
Week 2: Emotional Intelligence
Week 3: Bringing the Light to Y our Body
Week 4: V ital Ener gy
Week 5: Staying in the Light
Week 6: The Power of Attention
Part II by Sarah Platt-Finger
The Asanas
Afterword: Where Do Y ou Go from Here. Dedication
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Authors
OceanofPDF. comPART I
By Deepak Chopra, MD
OceanofPDF. comOceanofPDF. comOVERVIEW
ROYAL YOGA AND THE LIGHT OF LIFE
Whatever you are doing to make your life better, Royal Yoga can bring
you more of everything you want. In that opening sentence lies the essence of this book, an immense
promise that isn’t just a matter of belief. For centuries in India, a path to
fulfillment has been proven to work. In Sanskrit it is called Raja Yoga, Raja
meaning “kingly,” “royal,” or simply “the highest. ” Royal Yoga is a
splendid way to put it. My aim is to show you why and how the path of
Royal Yoga is the highest and most important of all Yoga traditions,
explaining every thing in terms that apply to modern people and everyday
life. As far as I know, this goal is unique; I’ve never found another book
that accomplished it. We are talking about personal transformation that reaches beyond any
lifestyle you might choose to follow, beyond any approach to wellness and
healing, beyond  any faith or religion. Royal Yoga is univer sal and all-
embracing. The Yoga part of Royal Y oga needs a little clarification at the outset. The
basic Sanskrit word Yoga simply means to yoke, join, or unite (the English
word yoke can be directly traced back to its ancient roots). In my part of the
book (Part I), when I talk about Yoga, I mean the complete system  of Yoga,
namely, the union of all aspects  of life—physical, emotional, and spiritual. Only one part of the whole Yoga system contains the exercises that people
learn in yoga class (I will put the exercise part in lowercase and refer to the
system of Yoga with a capital Y). The system is often called “Yoga
philosophy,” but that phrase sells the whole vision short. In Royal Yoga, no
aspect of existence is left out. Everyone is used to dividing life into distinctparts: mind, body, emotions, work, family, relationships, and so on. Those
are hand y divisi ons, of course. The experience of going to the doctor, the
gym, or yoga class can all be put in the compartment labeled “body. ”
Raising a child, going on a family vacation, and planning for retirement can
all be placed in the compartment labeled “family. ” As natural as it feels to
divide life in this way, this kind of compartmentalization creates a problem
that cuts to the very heart of existence. Royal Yoga holds that these compartments are false to the whol eness of
life. There are hidden possibilities that you will never reach, an intensity of
fulfillment you will never experience, when your life is chopped into
separate pieces like a loaf of bread cut into neat slices. Imag ine yourself
going through certain rituals and habits of your day—you get up, eat
breakfast, go to work, call frien ds, do things with your family, and so on. Take a moment to visualize some specific ways that might make your day
more satisfying. Perhaps a friend tells you a piece of good news, you
complete a project at work, or you watch your child or spouse smile at you
and you feel a rush of love. If you rewind these experiences and evaluate them through the prism of
Yoga, each event might look the same on the surface. But if you practice
Royal Yoga, what happens inside is transformed: You find that you are
living in the light. The effect is all-embracing, because if there is life, there
should be light. What is the light. For some this is a vague spiritual term that connotes
religion. A Christian might think  of the phrase, “Don’ t hide your light under
a bushel basket” or Jesus’ s declaration to his disciples, “You are the light of
the world. ” In the rabbinical tradition of Judaism, the divine presence is
Shechinah, whic h brings the light of God into the world when it permeates
a devout or holy person. In many traditions, angelic beings are creatures of
light, and saintly people emanate (physically or symbolically) a pure white
light. Royal Yoga transcends these religious connotations while embracing
their deeper meaning. “Light ” is pure awareness; it is the cosmic
consciousness that creates and maintains the universe and everything in it. In practical terms, living in the light is about living consciously, and the
ultimate goal in life is to live only in the light, having cast off every form of
ignorance, pain, and suf fering. WHERE IS YOUR LIGHT. Having read this far, you might be either skeptical or inspired. Something as all-embracing as Royal Yoga feels strange, at the very least. I’m not offering these concep ts from the viewpoint of a true believer,
because the vision of the Yoga tradition isn’t a set of beliefs. It is based on
experiences that everyone is already having. You already live in the light;
you just don’t live there all the time. Many people have experienced
happiness, joy, and sometimes even pure bliss. But, on the flip side, there
are dark experiences that bring confusion, pain, and suffering. Nonetheless,
the light of life is always with you because light is your very nature, your
true self. Royal Yoga is unique because it seeks to make everyday life ideal. There is infinite bliss as the starting  point, located in your true self. Whenever you experience less bliss, no bliss, or actual pain and suffering,
only one thing changes: how close you are to the light. This concept defines
the entire Yoga system, no matter how complex its traditions are in India. There are literally thousands of Yoga commentaries, and their intricacy can
be mind -bending. But we can cut through the complexity by focusing on
just one thing: living in the light. It is vital to understand what the ideal life is, according to Royal Yoga. What makes its approach so natural is that nothing achieved through Royal
Yoga is mystical or otherworldly. The self you experience today owes its
most valued experiences to your true self, which is already whole and
perfect. The Ideal Life: The Gifts of Royal Yoga1. Existence becomes blissful. You experience a joyful, energetic body; a loving,
compassionate heart; an alert, vibrant mind; and lightness of being. 2. You control your mental activity. You can generate thoughts, feelings, and
impulses that are evolutionary. You are the one who gives them meaning, and
therefore the whole world as you perceive it has meaning. 3. You see everyday life as a lucid dream, incredibly vivid but an illusion. You can
improve the dream without getting trapped in it. 4. Joy becomes the only measure of success because your essential nature is joy. It
is the beginning and endpoint of every journey. 5. You understand what it means to thrive. You savor the diversity of life, which
brings richness to your unfolding story. 6. You recognize that the point of arrival is always now. You can’t move to where
you are already standing—this is the experience of timelessness. 7. You recognize that you have no ﬁxed identity. Your identity is unique but always
evolving. It is your karmic story, but you don’t need to be bound by it. 8. You recognize gratitude as the sanest response to existence. It is insanity to
believe that existence is a problem. 9. You recognize that existence is lavish and abundant. 10. Grace becomes an everyday experience. It reveals itself by the perfect way that
every experience ﬁts together. Instead of brief glimpses of synchronicity, you
live in total synchronicity. Before we go any further, I’d like you to assess your experience s of the
light. Nothing is more important than knowing how much the light has
affected your life. Take the following self-assessment, and you will begin to
know yourself much better than most people do. Ten Ways to Be in the Light
Yoga asks you to identify entirely with the
light, which doesn’t happen all at once. The
light is glimpsed, to begin with, in memorable
experiences. Everyone has had them at one
time or another. The list on the following
pages includes the most important kinds of
experiences. To assess where you are right now, look at
each statement and circle the response thatapplies to you. The time frame isn’t critical—
some experiences might be very recent;
others very far back. The point is to recognize
moments of heightened experience. There are
no right or wrong responses. Just assess your
experience as objectively as you can. When in
doubt, choose the answer that ﬁrst comes to
mind. 1. I have experienced bliss. (Examples: a
peak experience of a joyful, energetic
body; a loving, compassionate heart; an
alert, vibrant mind; lightness of being. ) Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
2. I feel in control of my mental experience—I
can have positive, creative thoughts
whenever I want. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
3. Life can feel like a dream, with something
hidden from sight that is very real and yet
mysterious. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
FrequentlyDon’t know
4. Much more than material success, I
measure my life by my level of happiness
and joy. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
5. I welcome a wide diversity of experiences
—they give my life real richness. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
6. I live in the present moment, without
reliving the past or anticipating the future. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
7. I experience myself in the ﬂow, adapting
easily to new situations. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
8. I experience gratitude. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
9. I look upon life as abundant, offering
untold possibilities for fulﬁllment. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
10. I experience meaningful coincidences—
they tell me that everything happens for a
reason. Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Frequently
Don’t know
ASSESSING YOUR ANSWERS
This questionnaire is about seeing yourself
according to the quality of your inner life. Being in the light is what ties together these
ten experiences. If you have a rich inner life,
you will likely mark “Frequently” more than half
the time. On the other hand, if you often
answered “Never” or “Rarely,” your inner life
isn’t fulﬁlling. The light has become blocked or
obscured. Most people will fall somewhere in
between the light and the dark. They areaware of their inner life, but don’t turn to it as a
great source of fulﬁllment. For most of us, positive experiences come
and go at will; we have little control over them. Fears, regrets, and painful memories seem to
have a life of their own. Yoga teaches us to
change the situation through the following
steps, which will become second nature as the
book unfolds:
You pay more attention to what is going on
inside you. You notice any experience of being in the
light. You value that experience. You begin to focus more and more on the
light, increasing it in your life. Living in the light is the most natural way to
live. It is easier to live more consciously than to
continue experiencing things unconsciously,
driven by habit, routine, old conditioning, and
denial. The habit of being more conscious will
emerge effortlessly and without pain and
discomfort if you keep in mind that the best
experiences in your life indicate that you have
been living in the light all along, while
struggling to get there. THIRTY DAYS OF ROYAL YOGALiving in the light can begin anytime you choose. The principles taught
in Royal Yoga are not difficult to learn, and over the next thirty days we can
cover all the major areas you need to understand. Traditionally, these areas
are called the eight limbs, or ashtangas, of Yoga. We are going to treat them
as eight stages of transformation. Here is how a map of the journey looks. Our thirty-day journey is
divided into six weeks, and each week gives you five days of participation
—the weekend is your time off, to reflect upon and absorb everything you
have learned. I give the traditi onal Sanskrit names for the eight limbs, but you don’t
need to memori ze them. What is important is the theme for each week,
beginning with Social Intelligence in Week 1, Emotional Intelligence in
Week 2, and so on. Living in the light involves awakening awareness, layer
by layer, until you reach your source, the true self, which is the light of pure
awareness. Here’ s the whole program at a glance. Week 1: Social Intelligence
(Stage of Transformation—Yama)
In the first week, you learn to find the light in your social world of
family, work, and relationships. Royal Yoga considers this the outer shell of
existence. You move through it with your own habits, rituals, likes, and
dislikes. Your personality is your identity, which has been adapted from
input and pressure from society. By bringing light and lightn ess to your
social self, you prepare the way for the later stages of the journey. Week 2: Emotional Intelligence
(Stage of Transformation—Niyama)
In the second week, you learn to bring light and lightness to your
emotional life. Royal Yoga considers this stage to be more personal than the
outer or social sphere, yet you are still involved with other peop le and yourfeelings toward them. When these feelings are purified, or brought into the
light, you are not dependent on other people to trigger negative emotions in
you. Victimhood and codependency are no longer the pitfalls they once
were. Week 3: Bringing the Light to Your Body
(Stage of Transformation—Asana)
In the third week, you learn to apply awareness to your body, bringing
light and lightness to how you sense your body. Yoga considers the body to
be a vehicle for consciousness. Just as a boat carries you acros s the ocean,
your body carries you across the ocean of experience. Everyone is already
on that journey. But, at a subtler level, your body is carry ing you to
wholeness and your true self. Royal Yoga teaches you to appreciate this
aspect, which unites body and mind in a mutual relationship, the bodymind. Week 4: Vital Energy
(Stage of Transformation—Pranayama)
In the fourth week, you learn to connect your breath with every  state of
the body mind. Royal Yoga considers the breath to be the carrier of life
energy. This energy animates your cells and organs, and brings vitality to
your thoughts and moods. At a subtle level, breathing in and out is the
bridge between all of creation “out there” and every experience “in here. ”
Week 5: Staying in the Light
(Stage of Transformation—Pratyahara)
In the fifth week, you learn to make the light your home base, no longer
moving in and out of the light but always staying with it. Royal Yoga
considers this the most significa nt transformation; it is like a second birth. A new existence opens. Realizing that you belong in the light, you nowaccept without a doubt that being completely whole and healed is your
birthright. Week 6: The Power of Attention
(Stages of Transformation—Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi)
In the sixth week, the final three limbs are combined because they serve
a single theme: the power of attention. Simply by paying attention to any
thought, impulse, desire, or goal, you cause it to be fulfilled. Royal Yoga
considers that knowledge is power, and the deeper your knowledge of
consciousness and how it operates, the more power you posse ss. But this
isn’t knowledge in the sense of information or education. It is inner
knowing that depends upon nothing but living in the light. The creative
power of consciousness is revealed. If you want to, you can jump directly to Week 1 of the journey, whose
theme is Social Intelligence. But I’d like to expand a little more on why
Yoga is distinct as a unique method of self-transformation. “CHANGE YOURSELF, CHANGE THE WORLD”
Royal Yoga works—this has been proven over the centuries—and the
reason it works is radical. In fact, the basic principle of the whole Yoga
system is so revolutionary, it seems highly improbable that anyone would
pursue it. The principle is simply this: The world we think we live in is
unreal. Like characters in a movie or a novel, we are living a fictional
existence. Being  unreal, this world we accept causes every kind of problem
and suf fering. To return to your true self, you must understand how you got separated,
or lost, in the first place. Yoga places the blame on vrittis, a Sans krit word
that literally means “whirlpools, ” but that Yoga uses to describe every form
of ment al disturbance. The most revered text in Yoga is Patanjali’ s Yoga
Sutras, a text containi ng 195 aphorisms (sutras) outlining in authori tative
fashion the entire scope of Yoga in theory and practice. No teaching is moreimportant than the one concerni ng vrittis, which appears at the very outset
of the book. Here are the three opening sutras.
The author advises readers to consult a doctor before practicing the yoga poses, especially if they have certain health issues or are pregnant.
What are the author's concerns about certain individuals practicing the yoga poses in the book?
The author's approach is to focus on personal transformation that goes beyond any lifestyle, faith, or wellness practices, and is based on the idea that one must first recognize and let go of negative emotions and habits.
What is the author's approach to spiritual growth, and how does it differ from other spiritual traditions?
The author states that the concept of "core beliefs" is not a set of beliefs, but rather a set of principles that are meant to guide one's behavior and align with one's true self.
What is the author's view on the concept of "core beliefs"?
The author does not view "right living" as a set of moral teachings, but rather as a process of bringing awareness to one's actions and thoughts to align with one's true self.
What is the author's stance on the idea of "right living" in Yoga?
The author states that the concept of "wholeness" is not about trying to achieve a perfect state, but rather about recognizing and accepting one's true self, and allowing one's true self to shine through.
What is the author's view on the concept of "wholeness"?