Over 15,000 years ago, Adiyogi explored the human mechanism, the cosmic space and the relationship between the two. As he expounded the various tools that individual human beings could use to explore both dimensions, he envisioned that the entire humanity would take to it, and at one time, a large part of the known world took to it in a big way. But as times changed, and as the human intellect got diverted from alertness, awareness and intelligence to dogma, belief systems and gods that they had not seen, yoga slowly diminished. Again, a time is coming where human intellect is sparking like never before. If you look back one thousand years, there would be one wise man in a village who would think for everyone, the rest had to follow instructions. But today, more people are beginning to think for themselves. Whether they are thinking straight or not is questionable, but it does not matter – they are thinking!
By looking up in pursuit of human wellbeing, humanity became fancifully hallucinatory, and an endless amount of violence, hatred and unspeakable things continue to be done. Many people stopped looking up and started looking out. But once we began looking out, unspeakable things have been done to every living creature and the planet. If human wellbeing has to happen, the only way is to turn inward because pain and pleasure happen from within you, joy and misery happen from within you, agony and ecstasy happen from within you, the very light and darkness happen within you. If you do not turn inward, fixing the nature of your experience on this planet is out of the question. Yoga means just this – not up, not out – in. In is the only way out.
At a time like this, when human intellect is coming to a certain crest, it is wonderful that the Indian Prime Minister took this step that yoga should become an official process in the world. One hundred-and-seventy seven countries passed a resolution to identify the twenty-first of June as the International Day of Yoga. It is very significant that the Heads of nations around the world are talking about it.
A time has come where we are making simpler tools called “Upa Yoga” available to everybody, so that the world can have a taste of yoga. They may not become yogis, but at least let them have a taste. If they have a taste today, some day, when life knocks them on their head, they will want to become yogis. Otherwise, when life knocks them on their head, they may become drunkards! Many people choose depression, drugs and drink when life knocks them on their head. But if you give them a taste of yoga right now, when life knocks them on their head, they will definitely choose yoga.
~ Isha Blog