Today marked the sixth annual International Day of Yoga, which was instituted by the United Nations. The theme this year was “Yoga for Health—Yoga at Home.” To celebrate the day, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj gave a global discourse from Delhi on a form of yoga for spiritual upliftment and wellbeing—Surat Shabd Yoga —or SOS Meditation, as it is commonly known.
While there are many kinds of yoga that strengthen the body, SOS Meditation strengthens the soul. It brings about spiritual development, which helps us connect ourselves to God and enables our soul to embark on the spiritual journey back to God – the Source from where it came. It can be practiced by people of all ages and all walks of life, and does not require any challenging postures or asanas, said the spiritual Master.
Expounding on the meaning of Surat Shabd Yoga, he shared that Surat is the term for our attention, which is the outer expression of our soul. Shabd is the divine current or the Power of God that brought all Creation into being and is resounding through all of Creation. Yoga, he added, means union. Thus, Surat Shabd Yoga deals with bringing about the union of our soul with God.
Through the regular practice of SOS Meditation, our soul can connect with the love and Light of God. God is not on the outside, but is within, Sant Rajnder Singh Ji said. In this human body, we have been given all the faculties we need to experience God. All that is needed is for us to take our attention away from the world outside and focus it on the gateway to the inner spiritual worlds, the spiritual eye. With concentration, the soul then embarks on the inner journey, a journey of love, beauty, and light that culminates in the merger of the soul in God. This journey of love transforms us, and we become more loving and compassionate, embracing all God’s creation as our very own. We develop clarity of vision and a new, positive perspective on life. We tap into the infinite wisdom of the soul and make the best use of this golden opportunity to connect with the magnificence of God and to realize our soul’s merger in its Source.
