What is Raja Yoga?

“Follow your bliss. Find where it is and don’t be afraid to follow it.”  -Joseph Campbell

Raja yoga, or the yoga of the mind, arises from the Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali, known by the Hindus in 10,000 BC. The translation of this yogic philosophy is skillfully elucidated in the Ageless Wisdom Teachings of Alice Bailey in the book The Light of the Soul, which explains the practice of stabilizing the mind so the soul may use the mind as an instrument of clearer vision. A basic tenet of Raja Yoga is that “energy follows thought.”

Initially, we must be able to train the mind, and we know that everyone has this potential. It is less about managing the concrete, critical and judging (lower) mind or intellect and it is more about managing the next level of mind (higher) where one thinks and organizes metaphorically and symbolically, recognizing the meaning behind events.

Raja Yoga is the union of the mind and heart. It is through balancing the issues of the heart and mind that we create the possibility of unification with soul consciousness.