Beautiful women, wealth, sensations, celebrity, substances capable of distorting my perception, and even forcing my body into positions ready for the covers of important yoga magazines - I pursued them all, some wholeheartedly, but none would satisfy my real longing.

Indeed, much to my parents' surprise, the first word I spoke in this lifetime was "light." Prior to uttering its name, however, I was already searching for light - for my source. Yet despite my preternatural kinship with that spark that lights this and all worlds, for the first two or three decades of my life, I resisted it.

Clear perception is the cornerstone and an absolute necessity for living your best life - and that's exactly what the focus of a yoga practice should be all about.

Aligning yourself with the intelligence of the universe means coming to understand your life's purpose and applying it fearlessly to life's circumstances.

Learning to honor all four of your soul's desires compels you to thrive at every level, leads to lasting happiness as well as a complete and balanced life.

Few things are more powerful than learning to trust that your path to a fulfilled life - and the glorious destiny that you are meant to share with the world - is part of your soul's blueprint.

When yoga is understood in its totality, it is neither a form of exercise, nor is it an esoteric philosophy or religion; it is a practical and comprehensive science for realizing life's ultimate aims.