It’s alright if you call it “Jay-na-na” … that pronunciation is playfully used in the Jnana world too! In fact, that’s the essence of the practice- everything in life is a play! The Jnana method engages the mind to help reveal that life is an infinitely perfect and beautiful expression in every moment. At the apex of Jnana Yoga it is realized that nothing has more importance than anything else, nothing is serious… nothing is anything other than the expression of Consciousness.
\jəˈnänə\ is the Yoga of True Knowledge, A Yoga of Profound Love (one of the four primary “Yogas”)†
Although a student can embark on this method without any prior experience with Yoga it is generally practiced by those who have reached a peak in a previous practice or have had an experience in which they “realized” that they are something more than the body/mind, a glimpse into reality beyond the limited perception of the human entranced by sensations. [This realization occurs more often than you may think – and I’m not surprised if you’re nodding your head having already experienced this yourself – this is written for you!] The Jnana practice often starts after this glimpse and helps to integrate this new found knowledge into your life holistically.
Even the definition of Jnana Yoga is powerful – its essence alone can easily inspire a sense of euphoria. It is a contemplative practice that directly observes the reality of life. It is not a practice based on faith or belief, instead it guides you to deeply inquire about life and logically recognize how everything fits perfectly together as a whole. The study begins with the Self, “Who Am I?” and guides us to recognize our inner energy (or sense of being) that does not shift based on external conditions- the One that remains constant. This is the Self that is always, has always been and will always be the perfect, harmonious essence of your life… and of mine! Everything is this essence. It is Consciousness- the One single force that animates and inspires all of life. That’s the ultimate realization- that everything is an expression of the One Self (Consciosuness). I Am and All Is Consciousness.
Once you recognize the Self you can learn to integrate this knowledge into your life by disintegrating the false perceptions/conditions of the mind thus perceiving your true Self as every other form around you- thus becoming “One with” (or, Yoga’s “Uniting” [with]) All that Is.
SOME BASICS
Jnana Yoga helps you to see that all of life is a singularity, not many things, just One holistic presence. Just as you have one body made up of trillions of parts. You have hands, skin, blood… they all make up your one body. Every cell, every organ, every part plays a unique role, lives its life in a way unlike any other part, yet it is contained in a single body. One thing, trillions of things. What if any of these parts thought it was independent of the other parts? Disharmony would arise. All the parts work together. The universe, and everything in it, is a unique manifestation of a singularity best defined as “Consciousness”.
“Oneness” is another common term/concept that helps point to this truth. I know we’ve all heard that “everything is One”, and I bet you probably even agree with and believe it yourself! But what would it mean to actually know this? To REALLY live this as your truth? I know you live by the fact that 2+2=4. You know it to be true, and you live your life applying this truth. So, do you know “everything is One” and do you apply it to your life like other truths you know?
Many will state that they know “everything is One”, and it’s an excellent statement to make, an excellent belief. This belief will lead you to knowing the truth of Oneness. The determining factor you can ask yourself is, “Am I content?” If everything is One, then everything is accepted as perfect/harmonious even in all the polarities of life and you fall into the “Buddha State” of contentedness. If you find yourself upset then there is something that you are deeming “unacceptable” – and how can anything be unacceptable in a singularity?
You’ll know it when you see it! You mind will perceive it, it will not create it, your body will react to the “knowing” and you will then understand “Tantric Ecstacy”.
HOW TO PRACTICE
There are three primary practices for Jnana Yoga:
1. Personal inquiry through self guided meditation. Evaluate yourself emotionally and physically… are you these experiences? Am I hunrgy? No, I am experiencing hunger, I am not hunger. Am I happy? No. … I am not any experience. When you uncover who you are not you will find your Self. Be the observer of life and experiences. Continue observing and you will sense your Self as the simple and gentle presence. Remain there and let the body and mind melt into the presence, you’ll recognize that it’s been there all along and you’ve just covered it with thoughts. — This is Self inquiry.
2. Exploring with a teacher who has already experienced and integrated these profound truths into their own life is a very efficient way to real transformation. A teacher will help you recognize your misperceptions and where you are contradicting your own belief or knowledge. They will help you to see that everything is right and that your judgments of “something being wrong” is what keeps you separated from perceiving the harmonious truth of existence. Sitting with a master and an open mind is magical.
3. Practice the expression of Oneness in life. This practice is like learning how to swim by jumping straight into the water. The best part is that you can’t drown from this. Take a moment and look for the same essential “Self” in whatever is around you- the energy that animates everything. Go somewhere social and engage with others while recognizing and engaging with your Self in/as them. This is an abstract practice of Karma Yoga, you are living and expressing life in harmony with the truth of reality, connected intimately and equally. — If you find yourself creating separation and duality in your perception contemplate how you could see the wholeness of that experience instead and recognize the error in the initial perception.
These are amazing truths to contemplate. The practice is for a mind that is calm and aware of its thoughts. As a Jnana teacher I see many people take huge steps in Self awareness and am confident that we are living in a time where these understandings are more easily comprehended and allowed to thrive. Sometimes, with just a little support and encouragement from teachers who know the path, we too can find our Ultimate Self.
Enjoy your journey, there’s nothing else like it!
FOOTNOTES:
Many teachers have different opinions on the mind, some think that the mind is “in the way” of Self realization. This is a view that does not accept the mind- it automatically goes against the ultimte truth of Oneness- everything is a perfect part of the play. Read more on “The Great Potential of the Mind” here.
† Please note that this is a conceptual explanation (like any word) of the Ultimate Truth of life; it’s written to point to the truth. No words can totally describe this existence, they can only guide us towards more properly perceiving it.
Wonderful!! So exciting to find your stuff. I can’t seem to get the subscribe button above to work, fyi! Adding my info below, feel free to add me to your email list please!