As mentioned earlier, most people hold a distorted perception of Yoga, due to misinformation which was shaped and propagated over the last century. These interpretations, ironically, originated from the Indian subcontinent—the same region where the Yoga tradition was born. This overlap makes it even more challenging for those without a strong foundation in philosophical knowledge to distinguish between the Yoga and “yoga” (viz. the  modern yoga —the falsely claimed tradition of Yoga).

Yoga is not related to physical exercise (vyāyāma), fitness, health improvement, well-being, personal growth, or similar practices — despite the many benefits these bring to our lives. Yoga philosophy is an esoteric science, doctrine, and systematic spiritual practice with a soteriological aim: to liberate the spirit (puruṣa) from the cycle of rebirth (saṃsāra). In harmony: Sāṃkhya, Yoga, and even Āyurveda consider liberation from the cycle of rebirth as the ultimate goal of life—referred to as mokṣa, mukti, kaivalya, or nirvāṇa in various philosophical traditions. Both Sāṃkhya and Yoga (as well as Buddhism and Jainism) adopt a “pessimistic philosophical outlook” which can be categorised as “adverse to life”. As these systems view the human-experience as inherently tinged with sorrow (duḥkha). This sorrow is understood as a subtle underlying reality pervading all life experiences, even those that appear pleasurable or joyful. In their perspective liberation from rebirth is the ultimate liberation from sorrow (duḥkha). Sāṃkhya places emphasis on philosophical practice and non-attachment (vairāgya), advocating for the cultivation of discernment (viveka) and the separation from worldly attachments through profound knowledge of reality achieved via reasoning and analysis. Yoga, which is rooted in Sāṃkhya, builds upon this by emphasising self-denial (tapas), disciplined purification practices (abhyāsa), and surrender (īśvara-praṇidhāna). While Āyurveda takes a slightly more optimistic view of life, it underscores the importance of health in achieving the puruṣārtha (the four aims of life): dharma, artha, kāma, but ultimately, it also aligns with the view that liberation from re-birth (mokṣa) is the highest objective of human existence.

Yoga philosophy as far as we know was systematised by the sage Patañjali in a text known as the Yogasūtra. While there are numerous myths surrounding Patañjali—including confusion with other individuals of the same name—there is no definitive historical evidence to identify the actual author of the Yogasūtra. In this work, the author clearly outlines the method of Yoga in the first three chapters: Samādhi Pāda, Sādhana Pāda, and Vibhūti Pāda. A fourth chapter, Kaivalya Pāda, was likely added later by another author, possibly as a response to the growing influence of opposing Buddhist schools of thought. In essence, Yoga is a method aimed at achieving the retention (nirodha) of citta (the subtle body and its operations) through an eightfold practice called aṣṭāṅgayoga. The final stage of this practice is samādhi, a state reached through a rigorous system of disciplines (sādhana) leading toward the goal of isolation (kevala) and finally separation (kaivalya) from Nature (prakṛti). It is important to note that samādhi is not the ultimate goal of Yoga but a means to achieve kaivalya, the state of absolute separation from the life-cycle (saṃsāra). The practice of Yoga incorporates self-denial (tapas), mental purification (parikarma), such as the cultivation  of mental purity (such as friendliness, compassion, etc), detachment (vairāgya), ontological study (svādhyāya), and complete surrender to Īśvara (īśvara-praṇidhāna).

The yogin who attains sainthood (sattva or purity of mind) through these practices eliminates all mental impurities (rajas and tamas), purifies the mental body (citta) from habits (vāsanā) and imprints (saṃskāra) of past lives, exhausts the accumulation of karma (karmāśaya) in the practice of samādhi and ultimately leaves the body (samādhi-maraṇa) and eventually the life-cycle when Prakṛti is reabsorbed in its non-manifested potential state (pralaya). According to Yoga Philosophy, the spirit (puruṣa) of the liberated yogin finally achieves isolation (kaivalya) from Nature (prakṛti). In this state, the spirit, devoid of desire, karma and attachments, does not return to any form of worldly existence. Kaivalya is not a state of heavenly bliss but the complete cessation of all experiences, and therefore the ultimate cessation of sorrow (duḥkha). The practice of Yoga is still in vigour in India and other Buddhist countries across Aisa.

Stated this shoud be clear that Navakaraṇa is not Yoga, nor modern yoga is Yoga.