“Jane Austen’s novels were written during Europe’s Regency period, while Yoga Philosophy originated in India many thousands of years ago. These represent widely different cultures. So why think of combining ‘dear’ Jane with yoga? Well, she might never have practiced yoga, yet at least ONE of her heroines, the young Catherine Moorland, imagined herself walking ‘with great elasticity’ and if not from yoga, whence has this remarkable elasticity arisen?

Seriously, I find it interesting that the goal of yoga is self-knowlede and that Jane Austen’s underlying message (in her novels), is also self-knowledge. The deep knowledge of self, or in academic terms, “depth psychology,” is a type of study of rational thinking or rational consciousness. Ancient wisdom traditions in India were familiar with this, and it was part of the teachings from The Enlightenment Period, also known as The Renaissance, (which means literally “re-birth”)…of what? Well, they were reviving the ancient classical philosophy and science that was part of the ‘pagan’ pragmatic, non-sectarian and un-fanatical time in history, before the medieval “Dark Ages” fell on Europe. By the way, this period was originally called “dark ages” by same people who were trying to revive it (not by me). This knowledge still exists as taught by the classical philosophers, such as Socrates (via Plato’s writings) and Aristotle.

Jane’s writing and literary ‘techniques’ have been praised by scholars and fans. Of course, everyone mentions her ‘wicked’ sense of humor, yet beyond the excellence of her style, dialogue and sheer talent, was a strikingly infallible moral compass. Her novels present deep metaphysical truths which have inspired admiration for over 200 years. Her stories are considered the most romantic (and intelligent) love stories ever written.

Jane and Yoga have changed my life so amazingly. By understanding profound principles of yoga philosophy, starting with the ‘metaphysical’ teachings regarding the difference between the body and consciousness we, as “spiritual beings having a human experience,” get freedom from illusions that cause our sufferings. This is a type of liberation! We’ve all had moments of recklessness or lack of self-control, perhaps even one or two pesky, annoying and slightly stupid love affairs that one would give almost anything to forget about, especially in those “20/20 hindsight” moments. Never mind! With wisdom from yoga and Jane’s elegantly presented first-class examples of what romance and friendship are based on, we begin to hear the inner voice’s rational side.

For stunning examples of friendship-based (Aristotelian) romance that even Aristotle refused to believe possible, (Aristotle was a chauvanist), check out Jane’s novels. The difference lies in taking metaphysics seriously. Jane writes of serious love as a sentiment that arises from ‘esteem’ and ‘gratitude,’ rather than the (usually) impulse-driven, “love at first sight” tales that frequently veer off into unhappy endings. This isn’t against modern love, yet it’s very much against exploitation. In a world of glorified “hook ups” and casual sex, do yourself a favor by avoiding relationships that my mentor describes as, “Like climbing into one of those machines that grind up tree branches.” Of course, this goes for men too.

By the way, if anyone else (besides myself) is tempted to hide in the corner, despairing over past “romantic” experiences, fear not! Amazingly, Jane’s heroines and heroes start out as flawed characters…and most of them, like most of us, are not “perfectly” anything. As she said herself, “Pictures of perfection make me sick and wicked.” This gives us (or at least me) some hope. Yet it requires a bit of self-introspection. Jane very elegantly teaches why we need to know whom we are sharing the gift of our intimacy (ie, chastity). Modern people are losing this, in favor of instant gratification of the senses.

The fact is, romance is real yet it isn’t a cheap or ‘casual’ experience. Jane takes us to this understanding of higher levels of relationships because her novels explore metaphysics and philosophy within a moral universe, and the Bhagavad-Gita is India’s main and most beloved text on yoga philosophy. I will be referring to the following translation, written by my mentor, HD Goswami: A Comprehensive Guide to Bhagavad-Gita, with a literal translation. Also, check out HD’s lectures on YouTube or FaceBook. For anyone interested in Jane Austen’s amazingly intelligent love stories, here’s a link below to a very reasonably priced, “Penguin Deluxe” collection of all her novels.

A little dose of philosophy: Thousands of years ago, Socrates taught, “Know thyself” and centuries later, during the flowering of The Enlightenment period, during which Jane Austen lived, her message was part of this shift towards rational thought. She advised her friends and readers to, “Know thy own happiness.” There was serious public interest in science and, especially what a good life should look like. In any discussion of a good life, rational thought and rational behavior presuppose the acceptance of a metaphysical universe. Think about this: “justice” and “love” are not physical things, yet they we accept them as REAL things. Sometimes people lose their life fighting, for the sake of protecting loved ones or for the sake of justice. We even base our democratic society (in the USA) on “equality.” This seems ridiculous from a material point of view, as none of us are equal in our abilities. For example, we are not equal in math skills or in our singing ability. There is no empirical sense of being equal, EXCEPT in the sense of being spiritual beings. Since equality is not a physical thing, that can be touched or weighed, it is metaphysical. Literally, “beyond the physical.” Metaphysics is rarely spoken about in the modern media, yet that may be changing, or we can hope. Applying this metaphysical science of yoga philosophy and finding our ‘moral compass,’ gives us a true path to becoming the best version of ourselves. An interesting idea!

Great links: “An Excellent lecture on the Philosophy of Yoga” for anyone new to eastern philosophy, and A lecture on Jane Austen, in Jane’s hometown of Chawton, UK. Both (amazing) lectures given by my teacher, HD Goswami.

For more info: HD Goswami’s YouTube channel or Facebook page.

A Stanford study, “Your Brain On Jane Austen.” Learn about the cognitive benefits to binging-reading Jane Austen novels!

Krishna West London, Germany and many other cities around the world.