Yoga is concerned primarily with turning our attention inward in order to understand who we are. Intellectual knowledge is considered a bridge to the goal, not the goal in itself. Wisdom comes from direct experience with both outer events and inner contemplation. Stillness is priceless, carrying much more value than the temporary pleasures and pains of the outside world. The divine is always inside and part of us, not outside looking down on us. All outer things are impermanent, unconscious entities, while our inner light of awareness is permanent and conscious.

This difference in worldview may be what attracts us to yoga. We are longing to connect to our inner being, longing to experience that simple inner happiness that does not depend on outer, changing circumstances. Cultivating an inner orientation and discovering who we really are will energetically transform our attitudes and encourage kindness and compassion.

Nicolai Bachman, The Path of the Yoga Sutras