“If yoga doesn’t make you a better person, it is not complete”

These inspiring words are from Swami Niranjananand Saraswati from the Bihar School of Yoga in his address to the world on International Yoga Day.

When I first started doing yoga over 30 years ago, I skipped savasana at the end - the glorious lying down bit where you come to stillness. Our yoga teacher gave us the option to skip it and leave the yoga room. So I did! I was there to look better and improve my flexibility so I could run faster and longer.

Many people still think yoga is just asana (poses) that strengthen and lengthened. That is a wonderful aspect of yoga. But it’s just the beginning. The end is more profound, impactful and worthy of your time and energy.

“A yogic person should feel more peaceful, more helpful, more balanced, more creative, more responsible, and more humble.”