INTEGRAL YOGA

Integral Yoga

Integral Yoga is a transformative spiritual path developed by Indian yogi and philosopher Sri Aurobindo and "The Mother". It is also referred to as Supramental Yoga and unlike main stream yoga systems that might focus on achieving liberation by rejecting the world, Integral Yoga aims to transform all aspects of human existence—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual—to manifest a divine life on Earth.

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Core principles

• Embracing life: Instead of renouncing the world, Integral Yoga seeks to divinize it. It views earthly existence as a key part of spiritual evolution, not an obstacle to it.

• The Supermind: Sri Aurobindo posited that humanity is a transitional species and that the next stage of evolution involves the descent of a higher consciousness, which he called the Supermind, into human consciousness. This would lead to the emergence of a "supramental race".

• Involution and Evolution: The philosophy is based on the idea that the Divine Spirit, or Satchitananda, involutes (descends) into the unconsciousness of matter. Evolution is the reverse process, where Spirit gradually re-emerges through matter, life, and mind toward a complete manifestation of divinity.

• Psychic and Spiritual Transformation: The yoga involves a "Triple Transformation" of consciousness.

  • Psychic transformation: An inner movement to discover the psychic being, or soul, which is the evolving divine principle within each individual.

  • Spiritual transformation: The release into higher levels of consciousness above the ordinary mind, such as the Higher Mind, Illumined Mind, and Overmind.

  • Supramental transformation: The ultimate goal, involving the descent of the Supermind to completely divinize the entire being—mind, life, and body. 

Synthesis of Yoga

In Sri Aurobindo's Integral Yoga, the three classical paths of works (Karma Yoga), wisdom (Jnana Yoga), and devotion (Bhakti Yoga) are not practiced separately but are synthesized into a single, comprehensive method for the divine transformation of human life. The goal is to perfect all parts of the being by using each path in an integrated manner. 

1. The Yoga of Divine Works (Karma Yoga) 

In Integral Yoga, the path of works is not a way to renounce action, but to use it as a powerful means for spiritual growth and transformation. 

• Action as an offering: All of one's actions, from the most mundane to the most significant, are performed as an offering to the Divine, rather than for egoistic desires or rewards.

• Work as meditation: When done in the right spirit, work itself becomes a form of meditation and conscious self-offering. According to Sri Aurobindo's collaborator, The Mother, you can progress faster through this kind of work than through meditation alone.

• Detachment from results: A key principle is to renounce all attachment to the fruits of one's actions. Success and failure are treated with an equal and calm mind, which prevents the ego from being strengthened by either.

• Purification and expansion: This practice purifies the mind of egoism and attachment, and can eventually lead to a state where the Divine Force takes up and performs the activities through the individual. 

2. The Yoga of Integral Knowledge (Jnana Yoga)

The path of knowledge is transformed from an ascetic's quest for liberation into an integrated approach that realizes the Divine in all existence, not just in a separate, transcendent reality. 

• Discrimination and self-knowledge: The yogi engages in self-observation and mental discrimination to distinguish the true self (the Divine) from the ego and the lower nature. This is a progressive quieting of the mind to make it receptive to higher truths.

• Beyond renunciation: Unlike traditional Jnana Yoga, which often involves renouncing the world, Integral Yoga recognizes the Upanishadic truth that "All this is the Brahman." This means the Divine is immanent within the material world, and knowledge must be applied to transform life, not merely to escape it.

• Integral realization: The ultimate goal is not just individual liberation (Moksha), but a complete transformation of the mind, life, and body. It is the realization of the Divine in both its transcendental and cosmic aspects. 

3. The Yoga of Divine Love (Bhakti Yoga)

Bhakti, or devotion, is essential for Integral Yoga because it provides the constant aspiration and surrender necessary for transformation. 

• Universalized devotion: The object of devotion is the Supreme Divine, who is the All and not just a limited deity.

• Inner and intimate communion: The yogi cultivates an intense, personal, and inner relationship with the Divine Beloved, offering all thoughts, feelings, and actions.

• Threefold worship: An act of worship in Integral Yoga includes three parts:

  • The physical act itself.

  • The mental consecration that gives the act symbolic meaning.

  • The inner adoration and aspiration of the soul for union with the Divine.

• Expansion of love: This constant emotional connection deepens into a boundless love for the Divine in all things and beings, bringing a profound sense of inner bliss.