The Mahabharata is one of the great texts of Asian philosophy. It is one of the two major texts that influenced the philosophies and culture of India and Southeast Asia (1). It is an epic that has had great historical significance and encompasses much of the ethical and religious teachings of Hindu culture through story and lesson (2). Within the Mahabharata is the Bhagavad-Gita. It is found halfway through the epic within a section containing only about 700 lines (3). Compared to the entire Mahabharata, this is only a small subset. Overall, the Bhagavad-Gita symbolizes the struggle between the "ego" and the "higher nature" (4). The underlying themes in this text are used as tools in Yoga teachings; the teachings of unity of mind and body, calm, practice and spirituality (5). The Gita talks about awareness and what you need to do to achieve enlightenment, and also provides the steps to do so. Yoga and Sankhya are discussed in the Bhagavad-Gita. Sankhya encompasses the idea that purusha (consciousness) and prakriti (nature) united in unison constitute the basis of the universe. The purusha refers to the atman. Atman is the eternal Self or person. Prakriti is that which is fundamentally natural. The three gunas sattva, rajas and tamas demonstrate this. Sattva is peace and serenity, like the light of the sun. Rajas is activity and restlessness like lightning, and laziness and stupidity like a rock (6). The main theme in this is that most assume that enlightenment is sattva, but peace and serenity must also be overcome. To truly understand the difference between Sankhya and Yoga, further explanation is needed. Sankhya and Yoga are like knowledge and action. Although they seem separate, they are rooted in... middle of paper... they can focus their attention on God and themselves. (8)Asanas are the positions that discipline the body and mind through physical means. The locations focus on energy distribution. Entering the pose creates it, holding the pose organizes it and circulates it through the body, and exiting the pose holds and maintains the energy. When these poses become rhythmic and effortless, the body, mind and self unite in isvara pranidhana, which is devotion to God. Pranayama controls the mind while pratyahara detaches from the world around them, as well as from the senses and perceptions. Through breath control it is possible to move to the pratyahara stage to move inward and detach from one's senses and desires. (8)These last three are very interconnected and are the meditative stages. The Bhagavad Gita provides instructions on how to achieve this: