While not universally acknowledged enough, it is indeed a remarkably fine thing to combine yoga philosophy with the wisdom of Jane Austen, whose novels describe a moral universe. In other words, Jane understood metaphysics, and in this blog, we will get into metaphysics! Yet her novels are also considered the most romantic ever written and we will get into why & how it is possible that Jane could be both profoundly rational and yet simultaneously able to write such deeply romantic novels. Oh, the brilliant Jane! Meanwhile, we suspect that Yoga was unknown to her, yet we find curious connections. For example, there is ONE heroine in Northanger Abbey, Catherine Moorland, who imagines herself walking “with great elasticity,’ and I say, if not from yoga, then whence has this remarkable elasticity arisen?
The Jane-Yoga connection is a very potent combination of meditation, with a focus on making the best choices, to produce a great life. This is all depicted in Jane Austen’s novels. Also interesting is Jane’s frequent use of the word ‘meditation’, which is practiced by her heroines at times of great confusion or overwhelming happiness. Many a heroine retreats to their room, or to a quiet walk in a park, to ‘meditate or otherwise ‘readjust’ their thoughts and calm their emotions. Why should they do this, you may ask. Why indeed!
There is a science to consciousness. Universities now offer courses on Consciousness Studies! Many thousands of people wish to improve their consciousness by meditation and claim that without it, their day is just not as calm and focused. With all the distractions we suffer from these days, “screen time” is coming at a cost. Multitasking and addiction to ‘dopamine’ caused by too much screen time, has been shown to actually injure the brain. Our consciousness is being ‘meddled’ with. Social media and artificial intelligence are not having good effects on our intelligence or our perception of reality. On the other hand, meditation, while it requires a little effort, repays us with extraordinary powers to focus and even improves our propensity to think before acting. If we wish to be rational (hint: having the intellect in 1st gear), then “Jane Austen & Yoga” is the remedy.
Reading (and re-reading) Jane’s novels is a real thing. Her fans frequently re-read her novels. My own “extreme” binge-reading went on for over 10 years and was quite therapeautic. Historically, many folks have experienced this therapeutic effect. For example, Winston Churchill (nice article) absorbed himself in her novels during the 2nd World War, and her novels were given as therapy(!), to shell-shocked soldiers of WWI. Honestly, it worked for me! When life hands us uncertainty, Jane offers amazing help for consciousness and the brain, according to a Stanford study.! Philosophers and science-minded fans say that the particular emphasis on a moral universe actually depicts reality in a way that makes sense (another nice article). When things make sense, it’s quite helpful for sorting out the mess (in our consciousness), and eventually, we begin to see the light and get our life together.
So now, if you are still reading, we will begin from the point which YOU are at right now and the goal is to access what Jane calls self-knowledge, or as it is called today, self-realization. It’s already there within you, you only need to discover it (as in dis-covering something which is covered over). Bhakti-yoga is a simple and easy metaphysical process (devotional yoga), and it is a science because it actually works! Bhakti-yoga is famously taught in the ancient and respected text from India, Bhagavad-Gita (check out the link on this page to get a copy)
The Bhagavad-Gita invites us to go further into self-knowledge by reawakening our latent devotion for our Source, the source of our existence. Love is the highest form of yoga (yoga is a Sanskrit word, which means “connection”). The word, “religion” comes from the Latin “religare” (it means to “re-connect, a ligament connects). Krishna is a Sanskrit name for God (we don’t get hung up on names but we like the name Krishna, which means all-attractive). Krishna states that He is the ‘swift’ deliverer from material suffering for anyone who is devoted without deviation. (Gita 12.6-7) Bhakti-yoga is really the most effective spiritual awakening process for this difficult age. This is a practice called mantra-meditation and there is no charge–it is very simple–and we are simply sharing it with you. But why bhakti-yoga? As my teacher explains:
“The word “yoga” comes from the Sanskrit root Yuj which means to link with, or combine. Bhakti-yoga means to connect to the Supreme by means of loving devotional service.” –H.D. Goswami
“Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me”(Gita 9.34). This is what we are missing in our existence in a world that appears like it’s “going to hell in a handbasket.” We want peace, not lust, greed and exploitation for profit. We want love and yet it can seem unattainable. One problem is that we confuse love with fleeting physical relationships, or we may attempt to establish a relationship with someone, only to find out that they are not the person we imagined. Despite striking out in love a few times, we continue to be naturally ‘wired’ to seek loving friendships and relationships. We might wonder why this thing called love, which is such a basic need, is so hard to find.
Actually, we need to know what love is–and we need to know who we really are. Again, people are very misguided by social media and mundane advertisements that tell us that happiness can be found in the external things of the world or in bodily pleasures, rather than from within, by tapping into the metaphysical reality, which is that we are inconceivably beautiful, because we come from unlimited beauty. The misuse of the body to “attract” (by immodest clothing) is not the right way to gain love, as it simply distracts the consciousness or drags consciousness down–to lust. This is very karmic activity that ties us to the material world. The reality is that we are spiritual beings, “dba” doing business as human beings. “All living entities, are seated as on a machine”(Gita 18.61) We forget that the body eventually disappoints us by losing its beauty, and then we experience death! Ooof! So why irrationally focus on the body as a source of enduring happiness?
If we only could see the truth…but actually, we can! Jane was our well-wisher and she kindly designs her heroines, most of them at least, to begin their journey as flawed human beings who struggle, like us, to gain what she called, “self-knowledge” and what we now call, self-realization. Likewise, in the Gita, Krishna also encourages us to try yoga and promises us that just a little endeavor on this path will save us from the greatest fear (2.40). Yoga produces happiness very superior to anything we might typically refer to as happiness!
If you are interested in reading more, you can get both books (Bhagavad-Gita, translated by my mentor & the Complete Deluxe Edition of Jane Austen’s novels) by clicking the links on the sidebar.
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