Thread by @HinduMediaWiki

Answering Two Questions about #Yoga on this #YogaDay2021 !

1. Is it possible to detach your soul from your body?
2. How to differentiate Yoga from Dream?

The answer to 1st question is: yes, it is possible to to separate the soul or jivatma from the body. 1/9

Even one can enter another body through this process:

When the bonds of the mind caused by action have been loosened, one may enter the body of another by knowledge of how the nerve-currents function-
[Patanjali Yoga Sutra- 3.37]

#YogaDay
#YogaForWellness

First is, yoga is that state where all the activity of the mind ceases (PYS - 1.2).

So the idea that in yoga one must be somewhere thinking something is incorrect. If one is thinking something then he might be practicing yoga, but he is not in yoga.

#YogaDay

Not only detaching the soul, but there are other such siddhis (skills) which automatically arise when one practices yoga. Even one can go to other planes of existence and interact with other beings.

#YogaForAll

But all these are not the purpose of yoga & are simply obstacles on the way because the yogi may get diverted from the true purpose on the achievement of these things

To the outward turned mind, the sensory organs are perfections, but are obstacles to realization.
[PYS - 3.36]

By freeing the soul from the body the yogis can achieve moksha voluntarily or go to the plane of existence they would like. There are many examples of such saints and yogis in puranas. Here is one video explaining such thing:

Now regarding differentiating yoga from dream, you don't need to use a totem as they did in the movie Inception!

You would be able to know it yourself. How? Because there are four fundamental states that a jiva goes through, wakefulness, dream, sleep and turiya.

Apart from the last state, every other state is simply not yoga.

And just like you are able to differentiate wakefulness from sleep and dream, you will be able to differentiate the state of yoga.

It is better to know and learn about Yoga from a qualified teacher.

Forming ideas by listening to and reading text of unqualified persons can be harmful. The Patanjali Yoga Sutras has a lot of information in a condensed form but one need Guru to understand it.

Thank you!