(First published 23/6/2010)

There is one word in yoga that can be described as a summary of all we seek in a yoga practice.

It covers all points in one word – or to be precise in its three words that come together to make one; which in itself is a metaphor for yoga, a practice that brings together seemingly separate parts, into a union that is balancing and harmonising.
This word is satchitananda.
In literal translation, it means “pure conscious bliss”. These words can be translated in broader terms.

Sat – is translated as “being, pure, real, truth, Brahman, supreme spirit”. This can be interpreted in terms of religious connection – hence the reference to supreme spirit, but this also relates to our inner self, our sense of being. Connecting with this is part of yoga practice, to cut out our internal chatter, to reduce the distractions that take us away from this sense of being.
To put it another way, sometimes we can be so busy, so distracted that we feel detached from our own body. Suddenly the busy, noisy world falls away, and we find ourselves in a silent place, and that’s when we notice our breathing, our body, and even our mind thinking away. We become much more conscious of our “being”.

Chit – is described as “consciousness, thought, intellect, mind”.
Iyengar describes it as: “The soul, spirit, the animinating principle of life. Universal consciousness.”
Behind the chattering mind lies our conscious awareness, a clear, still place of knowing, of clarity. This is what we want to tap into when practising yoga – and of course, meditation.

Ananda – is “unalloyed bliss, happiness, joy”.
And with both sat and chit, being and consciousness, comes ananda –bliss. This is the quality of feeling we seek – that sense of joy that is unconditional, not dependent on something or someone; a bliss that we can experience that reaches the core of our being.

Without a yoga practice we can sense this bliss, albeit randomly, fleetingly and erratically, or we can cultivate the ability to tap into, and stay in, this state of bliss – through a steady practice of yoga (especially with a steady meditation practice). It’s like switching on a TV and always getting the channel you want.

Happiness can be elusive, but it doesn’t need to be unattainable.