IN THE
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april 2018yogajournal.com.auSeeking more equanimity and happiness? Here’s how to tap into
the purusharthas – or yoga’s four aims of life –to reach your goals
and usher in more joy.
AS WE SETTLE INTO 2018 s a good time to reflectit’
on your resolutions and ask yourself an important
question: am I leading a well-balanced life? And
while it’s easy to get bogged down in the details—
for example, you might set goals that relate to how
you think you want to look or act in this world—
consider bypassing those particulars. Yoga
philosophy offers the key to a deeper approach that
can reshape your whole life in a positive way: the
purusharthas, or four aims of life.
The purusharthas—which includedharma
(duty, ethics), artha (prosperity, wealth),kama
(pleasure, sensual gratification), and moksha(the
pursuit of liberation)—are the blueprint for
By Hillari Dowdle
human fulfillment. You can think of them as
signposts that point us to a successful, balanced
existence in the world, and working with them
can help you create a satisfying life at the
deepest and most holistic level.
“We all have a desire for a meaningful life.
The purusharthas are the means that can help
us achieve it,” says Rod Stryker, founder of
ParaYoga and author of a book about the
purusharthas called The Four Desires. “They
are, in a larger sense, what practice is really all
about,” he says, adding that the purusharthas
offer a yogic perspective on how to engage
skilfully in the world.