Yoga unites us all. There is a beautiful Indian story which can vividly illustrate why we need Yoga in our life. It talks about several blind men who tried to describe a big elephant by feeling different parts of his body. The one who kept his tail, said: “The elephant is like a snake.” The second man, groping one leg, exclaimed: “No, an elephant is like a big tower.” “You are both wrong,” – said the third-wielding animal’s ear: “The elephant looks exactly like a big fan.” The fourth man, who drove his hands on one of the tusks, shrugged his shoulders and said with confidence: “This elephant does not fit under any of your descriptions. He looks like a horn.” “All you’re crazy” – said the fifth man touching the trunk – “The elephant resembles the trunk of the banana grass.” These five people perceive the same elephant differently. The elephant does not change, and if the blind suddenly saw the light, they would understand the reason for such different descriptions: they would have realized that they were talking about different aspects of the same. Exactly similar knowledge most of us have about themselves. We see the division – we perceive ourselves as separate from the environment and other people, because in fact we are like blind men, having no real idea or knowledge about themselves and our environment. By practicing yoga we increase inner light that can dissipate darkness of separateness (ego) and help realize our infinite nature.
