In surprising ways, the notion of enlightenment is important in everyday life. In the West, the word “enlightenment” remains fuzzy, and most people would consider it exotic, foreign, difficult to reach, and reserved only for people with strong spiritual motivation and tremendous self-discipline.

If all of these assumptions are wrong, everything surrounding enlightenment would have to shift. In fact, each of these assumptions occupies a spectrum. There are yogic teachings that require strong motivation and enormous discipline, but there are also paths to enlightenment that are much easier, and these fit everyday lifestyles quite well.