1.9. Practice of Yoga

[...] Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad II.11

Forms that appear like snow, smoke, sun, wind, fire, fire-fly, lightning, crystal and moon, precede the manifestation of Brahman in Yoga practice. When the fivefold perception of Yoga, arising from (concentrating the mind on) earth, water, light, air and ether, have appeared to the Yogin, then he has become possessed of a body made of the fire of Yoga, and he will not be touched by disease, old age or death.It is said that the first sign of entering Yoga are lightness of body, health, thirstlessness of mind, clearness of complexion, a beautiful voice, an agreeable odour and scantiness excretions. Just as the same metal disc, which was stained by dust before, shines brilliantly when cleaned, so the embodied being, seeing the truth of Ātman, realizes oneness, attains the goal and becomes sorrowless. When the Yogin realizes the truth of Brahman, through the perception of the truth of Ātman in this body as a self-luminous entity, then, knowing the Divinity as unborn, eternal and free from all the modifications of Prakṛti, he is freed from all sins.^[1]