You are the Seer that abides within you

In the Yoga Sutras,the first book to systematically explain what yoga is and how to practice it, Patanjali states that the goal of Yoga is to quiet the mind (Yoga Sutra 1:2). Patanjali then explains: You are not your body nor your mind. You are that True Seer or Knower, which you can only get to know when you quiet your mind (Yoga Sutra 1:3). We tend to identify ourselves with our mind, but if we start observing our thoughts without judging them we can realize that our mind is just a magnificent tool we have, and not us. For example, when a desire arises among our thoughts, such as a craving for chocolate, we often can’t control it. We can’t stop thinking about it until we actually eat the damn chocolate. Then, after we indulge in it, we may blame ourselves for eating too much of it. But think about it: if you can observe “yourself” through this process, then who are you?

The mind talks. But who is listening? That is your awareness--the Seer we want to awaken.

The tricky part is that in order to truly understand this eternal, peaceful You, the mind must be quiet. A useful analogy is to imagine your mind as a mirror. If it is colored or corrugated, the image it will reflect will be distorted. In order to see your True Self, your mind must be clear.