Liberation is possible only through devotion to the Lord

Neither liberation from the cycle of birth and death nor purity of intellect and emotions is possible without devotion to the Lord. Those who have the spring of ecstatic devotion to the Presence of the Lord within them do not need any texts to ponder over. The very contemplation on the beauty, grace, and power of the Lord will give them the bliss they seek. In that ecstatic mood, they discard all self-consciousness and yearn to become the beloved of God, and remain in blissful Union with Him. They dance and sing aloud and merge with Him in genuine joy and Ananda (bliss). The agony of the devotee to attain their beloved Lord is the true sign of devotion.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Time is the manifestation of the power of God, and so it has no end or beginning which can be measured. Karma too is an important manifestation. Easwara or God is no wayward force, unmindful of bounds and limits. He creates circumstances strictly according to the activities that men have engaged in during their previous lives. Creation, Time and the Karma— all three are instruments which He uses. They are bound to Him. Easwara though not perceptible to the senses ordinarily, becomes so perceptible to the devotee who has deep attachment to Him that the devotee yearns to merge in Him. Such devotees can perceive God as clearly as they perceive external objects.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Purity

Just as soap is necessary to make this external body clean, repetition of the divine name, meditation, and remembrance (smarana) are needed to cleanse the interior mind. Just as food and drink are needed to keep the body strong, contemplation of the Lord and meditation on the Atma (Soul) are needed to strengthen the mind. Without this food and drink, the mind will just stumble this way and that. When the waves of desire agitate the waters of the mind, how can one see the base, the Atma? So, clean the mind with contemplation of the Lord. Feed it with meditation on the Atma. Only meditation and spiritual practice (sadhana) can clean the depths of the mind and give it strength. Without purity and strength, the Atma recedes into the distance and peace flees.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Hence hatha yoga is only for the body- external purity. Internal purity is needed. Unless the Lord is contemplated peace is a far fetched idea.

Dr Krishna Raman

How to achieve peace in life

Every act in daily life can be sanctified by dedicating it to God. By dedicating all thoughts to God, man can achieve peace. There is no need to wait for a suitable time for embarking on this exercise. The time is at your beck and call. Great people do not wait for a propitious time. They make time their servant.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Real Tapas

Thapas (penance) does not mean positioning oneself upside down, head on the ground and feet held up, like a bat. Nor is it the renunciation of possessions and properties, wife and children, emaciating one’s body or holding the nose to regulate one’s breath. NO. Physical actions, oral assertions and mental resolves—all three have to be in unison. The thought, the speech and the act all have to be pure. This is the real Thapas. And they have to be co-ordinated not by the compulsion of duty. The effort must be undertaken for satisfying one’s inner yearnings, for the contentment of the self. This struggle is the essence of Thapas.

Sri Sathya Sai BABA

We die hard Hatha Yogis must change our attitudes.
Dr Krishna Raman

Purity is needed

Lord Buddha's emphasis was entirely on purity in every aspect of daily life. Purity in vision, purity in thought, purity in speech and purity in action. He considered the spirit of sacrifice as the true Yajna (sacred offering). Sacrifice is the means for attaining Nirvana, freedom from the bondage of mundane existence. Buddha was totally opposed to anyone being forced to lead a worldly life against his will. The Buddhist prayer must be properly understood. When the Buddhists say: "Buddham sharanam gachchaami, Dharmam sharanam gachchaami, Sangham sharanam gachchaami," the real meaning of the prayer is: One must divert one’s Buddhi (intellect) towards Dharma (right conduct). And right conduct should be aimed at serving society. When this is done, society gets purified.

BABA

Liberation

It is pure love that bestows liberation. You should endeavour to attain this holistic love. To attain liberation, people undertake all sorts of spiritual practices, but love is the undercurrent of all spiritual endeavours. Bhakti (devotion) is a spiritual practice based on love. Devotion is not merely singing Bhajans or performing sacred rituals. True devotion is a direct flow of selfless and unconditional love from your heart to God. In the spiritual practices that people undertake, there is some amount of selfishness. Offer your love to God devoid of the least trace of selfishness or desire. The annihilation of desire is verily liberation.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Attaining God

God, who is the embodiment of love, can be attained only through love, just as the effulgent Sun can be seen only through its own light. There is nothing more precious in this world than Divine love. God is Gunaatheetha (beyond all attributes). Hence, His love also is beyond attributes. But, human love governed by Gunas (attributes) results in attachment and aversion. Love should not be based on expectations of reward or return. Love based on such expectations makes it a business deal. Love is not an article of commerce. It is not like a lending a loan and getting it back. It is a spontaneous offering. Pure love of this kind can emanate only from a pure heart. - Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Hence we can see that it is more important to keep our hearts pure. Lets focus on this
rather than perfecting our asanas which can be still done but lets change priorities!