Yoga embraces all kinds of practices, which is rarely appreciated in the so-called west. There, yoga is usually associated with bodily postures. As of late, the postures are edging toward the spectacle, too. In the so-called east, though, yoga extends to whatever one does for a living, as well. A farmer, a blacksmith, or a soldier can practice yoga from day to day by simply doing what is required of them with due reverence. Although I do not write for a living, heavens be praised, the reverence is certainly there. I am a practitioner of writing yoga, which would need a colorful Indian name to properly impress. Any ideas?

Addendum I (October 9, 2016)

So far, no colorful Indian name for writing yoga has come my way. The best idea I can come up with is that it is a variety of karma yoga, or yoga of selfless action. The fact that I do not write for a living is crucial in this connection. But I do not write for any other species of gain, such as fame or sexual favors. Indeed, I write solely to leave a trace of my own journey for my own sake, as well as the sake of my fellow travelers. At any rate, I just searched the World Wide Web for the word “writing” in Sanskrit. The best translation I have managed to find is lekha. By the way, this word also stands for “record.” To wit, I am a practitioner of lekha yoga. Alleluia!

Addendum II (May 24, 2024)

Only a week after the previous addendum was written I wrote a piece entitled “Lekha Yoga” (October 15, 2016). Writing yoga belongs to one of the eight limbs of yoga dedicated to concentration or dharana, I reckon. Earlier today I returned to this subject once again (Addendum of May 24, 2024, to “Writing as Such,” December 10, 2013). Indeed, the concentration that writing requires is no less than mesmerizing. Time and space vanish while shaping one’s thoughts and focusing on every word, sentence, and paragraph. The same applies to reading, of course. Now that I am reading my own writings with all the concentration I can muster, I often get lost in time and space, as well. And that is the greatest blessing of my writing project, I believe. Lucky bastard, no doubt.