What would happen if suddenly all of us became advanced yogis? (hence the seven consequences below). I asked Ramaswami.

What would happen to: goal-setting, achieving, innovation, moving along, washing dishes, changing diapers, healing the sick? What then? What if we all sat contemplating and totally detached, not disturbed by anything. Not wanting anything?

Highly unlikely, he said.

As one progresses in the path of yoga, insights dawn on the practitioners and her or his discriminative knowledge increases.  In Sutra 2.27 it says that “seven kinds of ultimate insight come to one who has attained a high level of discrimination“.

These are the seven signs, as discussed in the class where I posed the question:

1)  The desire to know is no longer present for this yogi, because she is able to see the true nature of everything

2) The desire to do is no longer there

3) The desire to achieve things, even heaven is no longer present for him

4) The desire to get rid of something, anything, goes away

5) Because of 1-4 the mind is no longer distracted

6) There is no fear whatsoever

7) The yogi is never depressed

But of course, these are pretty advanced states of yoga.  I am not nearly there, so perhaps I should carry on and make dinner.

~
picture credit.

See Also:

21 Things To Know Before Starting an Ashtanga Yoga Practice {Free Book}

7 Surprising Things I Learned from Ramaswami and Patanjali

32 Unusual Ways to Bring Abundance into Our Lives