For Samadhi, See Union.

That's what it says in Iyengar's book, Light on Life. I feel like some people put Samadhi on a pedestal. Yoga, even. Practicing Yoga doesn't make a person better than anyone else. Its a choice, "a path", a way to conduct ones life. Other people do things like Qi Gong, making art, Akido, running, Olympic weight lifting, singing - you get it. Samadhi can be translated as bliss. We experience bliss all the time! It's always there for us. Ever have that moment or day where all things align and feel right? You just feel so content there are no words. Things feel like they should be how they are. There are really no other words to explain it, but I guarantee that we've all felt it more than once.

This is the cool thing about Samadhi. It's always there for us to experience. What Yoga does is help us realize its there. Practicing Yoga helps us recognize it, feel it, and realize that its there when we want it. Maybe today things aren't going your way. You always have a choice -be really upset at the fact you cannot control the universe, OR let it go and let things run its course. The worries and stresses of everyday life are natural. We cannot always escape them, and we cannot live our lives in Samadhi everyday -its just not natural. What we can do is recognize when we've steered away from it and try to steer ourselves back to, or as close as we can to Samadhi. The union of yoga is finding that sweet spot in life where things are lined up, you feel oneness and content.

You don't have to be a monk or a swami. Just trust yourself and find it.