Yoga: The Art of Attention in a Distracted World

Time of India

3 hours ago

As International Yoga Day 2025 approaches, Indian corporate leaders are embracing yoga and mindfulness.
"Yog is the journey of the self, through the self, to the Self." –
Bhagavad Gita
6.20
On this
International Yoga Day
, as
yoga
mats unfurl across continents and millions synchronize their breath to a timeless rhythm, let us pause and reflect—not merely on posture or flexibility—but on the
inner posture of the mind
, the quiet alignment of attention with the divine.
Yoga Beyond the Mat
In the sixth chapter of the
Bhagavad Gita
, Lord Krishna elevates the discourse on Yoga from the external to the internal. He asserts that Karma Yoga—performing one's worldly duties without attachment—is nobler than renunciation. But beyond all,
the yogi who meditates with unwavering devotion to the Divine is supreme (6.47)
. This vision of yoga is not escapism, but a precise alignment of our
attention, energy, and time
with spiritual realization.
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The Age of Scattered Attention
Modern life is not short of stimulation, but it is starved of stillness. In an era of infinite scrolling, attention has become our rarest resource. And as the
Gita
proclaims, 'Elevate yourself through the power of your mind, not degrade yourself; for the mind is both friend and enemy' (6.5).
This internal war—between the distracted and the disciplined mind—is where Yoga truly begins.
Focus: The Spiritual Muscle
Swami Vivekananda
often emphasized the role of
disciplined attention
as the core of
spiritual training
. He said, "
The difference between an ordinary man and a great man lies in the degree of concentration
." Yoga is the ancient art of winning that battle. It is the practice of bringing the mind back—again and again—to the Divine, as described in Gita 6.26: 'Whenever the mind wanders... bring it back under control.'
The
Kundalini
, the rising serpent, symbolizes this precise power—of awakening focus, of uncoiling our spiritual energy toward its highest possibility.
Attention as Enlightenment
Modern psychology echoes these ancient truths. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, in his seminal work Flow, observes:
"The best moments in life occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile."
This is Yoga: not relaxation, but immersion. Not escape, but engagement with our highest self.
The Lamp That Does Not Flicker
A mind trained in Yoga becomes like a flame in a windless place (6.19)—still, unwavering, full of light. It sees
gold, dirt, and stone as equal
(6.8), and beholds the Self in all beings and all beings in the Self (6.29). This is not poetic fantasy, but a lived transformation, attainable by
persistent practice and joyful detachment
.
From Self-Help to Selflessness
Real yoga is not about helping ourselves—but transcending the self. The Gita teaches that the yogi lives in the world but is not of it. He works, sleeps, eats, and interacts in balance (6.17), free from the turbulence of likes and dislikes.
He becomes a
mirror
, not a mask—a presence that reflects love, impartiality, and inner bliss.
The Way Forward
As we honor Yoga on this day, let us honor not just its physical elegance, but its
spiritual essence
. Let us strive not just to stretch our limbs, but to
still our minds
, not just to master poses, but to master attention.
In a world of noise, the yogi is the silence that sings.
In the storm of desires, the yogi is the center that holds.
And above all, in a civilization distracted by consumption, the yogi is a reminder that
being is enough
.
Shivoham, Shivoham
–
I am He, I am He.
Not the doer, not the doing, but the undying awareness behind all.
Happy International Yoga Day.
Authored by: Shambo Samrat Samajdar and Shashank R Joshi
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