Sanskrit Word of the Week : Moksha

Moksha is the ultimate aim of yoga - complete liberation and freedom.  It is a state of being where there is no attachment to the material world, a sense of neutrality and acceptance of the ups and downs of life.

Hindus believe in the cycle of birth, death and rebirth and moksha transcends this, liberating a person from this cycle.  Buddhists have a different word for this which you may be more familiar with - Nirvana - and although there are subtle differences the concept is the same. In philosophical terms it is very complicated and I don't profess to understand it, however, I can get a sense of how Moksha might relate to modern Western lives. For example, when you are practising yoga you are concentrating on what you are doing in that moment and you are free from the swirling thoughts that so often fill the mind.  This cultivation of awareness grows in other areas of your life too and you begin to notice where you are holding on to things and trying to control them. Learning to let go of worries and the way we want things to be relieves suffering and lets us live a more peaceful life. Yoga offers physical freedom too - regular practice will result in a sense of ease in your body and will help you to move more comfortably.