The word Yoga means “union” as in the union of opposites, the merging of individual consciousness with the Universal consciousness through self inquiry.  Yoga can guide us on the path to the discovery of our true self.  As with all endeavours, progress in Yoga depends upon how much effort we are prepared to put into it.

We can be happier when we live life with detachment.  Yoga advocates non-attachment (vairagya) to experiences, objects and people that give us pleasure and satisfaction.  We need to keep in mind that it is not what happens to us that hurts us but our consent for it to do so.

Detachment is a state where a person withdraws from external experience, the consciousness becomes still and observant like a detached witness, it is the state of being unbiased.  It is a continual disassociation from worldly desires and sense-gratification that goes beyond body and mind to communicate with the spirit.  Non-attachment is not indifference or lack of love.  In fact, it is genuine, unconditional love.

Detachment helps to remove pain but first we need to understand the nature of suffering.  We all have painful experiences. Instead of experiencing them and letting them go, many of us attach and carry the pain from the past with us, and throughout our lives.  For some people personal growth is blocked due to a past experience.  It determines their present because the experience is re-lived over and over. Detachment doesn’t mean that we are never attached to anything or anyone.  Attachment is natural and a necessary part of our consciousness.  Detachment is about being able to let go of what we have been attached to and move on.

Being focused and detached will relieve us of suffering and bring about the enduring experience of happiness.  We have to release the past and discover what already exists within us.  In Yoga (and in life) self knowledge is essential but so much lies hidden beneath the surface, it is said that the invisible must become visible to be eradicated.  Releasing old unconscious experiences is part of the cleansing process.

All this is complicated because we use attachment in many ways.  Quite often we use attachment to create illusions that allow us to feel comfortable and safe.  When we attach to places, people and things we are able to avoid some of the fear that life presents.  This can create emotional ups and downs -happy one day and sad the next.

The quality of non-attachment needs to be developed gradually.  It is a critical step in spiritual life.  Only when we can experience each moment without attachment, is it possible to overcome negative personality traits and gain a sense of stability and wholeness.

Deepak Chopra suggests the introduction of “the mantra that resonates with the Law of Detachment to remind you to relinquish your need to control, thereby allowing creative solutions to emerge from the wisdom of uncertainty.”

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