Yoga and the Fourth of July: What Does Freedom Really Mean?
Every year on the Fourth of July, the skies sparkle with fireworks, the smell of backyard barbecues fills the air, and families and friends gather to celebrate something truly powerful: freedom. It’s a day filled with laughter, pride, and a sense of connection—not just to each other, but to a shared history. At its heart, this holiday marks a turning point in time when a bold vision for liberty began to take shape.
But the Fourth of July is more than just a fun summer tradition. It’s a reminder of the courage it took for our ancestors to declare independence, to risk everything in the hope of building a life rooted in freedom, self-determination, and dignity. They didn’t fight for comfort—they fought for possibility. They imagined a future where people could live by their own values, speak openly, and walk their own path with pride.
That dream wasn’t perfect, and the journey hasn’t been easy. But the heart of it—the belief that all people deserve the chance to live free—continues to guide us.
For many of us, especially those of us on a spiritual or yogic path, this holiday invites a deep reflection. We think about what it means to be free within ourselves. What does personal freedom feel like? What would it look like to live in alignment with our true nature? Where are we still holding back or playing small?
Independence isn’t just about politics or history—it’s something we keep reaching for in our everyday lives. To live authentically. To speak our truth. To make choices that reflect who we really are. Our ancestors gave us the blueprint for external freedom; it’s up to us to bring that same spirit inward.
So while we celebrate the fireworks and the festivities, we also honor the legacy behind them. We remember that freedom is sacred—and that we are the living continuation of a dream much bigger than ourselves.
Yoga teaches that true freedom isn’t just about external circumstances—it’s an inner experience. It's something you feel when you're no longer bound by fear, anger, or the constant loop of self-judgment. In yogic philosophy, this ultimate freedom is called moksha—liberation from suffering, from ego-identification, from the patterns that keep us stuck.
So what if this Fourth of July, in addition to celebrating our country’s independence, we also honored our own path toward inner liberation?
Let’s talk about what that looks like.
Fireworks Outside, Stillness Within
There’s something undeniably powerful about seeing fireworks explode across the night sky. They remind us of celebration, wonder, and the transience of life—bright for a moment, then gone. But in yoga, we seek the opposite of fireworks: the quiet, steady light that doesn’t burn out.
Yogis talk a lot about samsara—the cycle of suffering, confusion, and rebirth that we all get caught in. The mind jumps from thought to thought, like fireworks in the sky: bursts of desire, fear, memory, anxiety. In contrast, moksha is the quiet space between the sparks. It's when we stop identifying with every emotion or thought and start remembering who we really are.
Moksha doesn’t necessarily mean we transcend life or stop feeling things. It means we’re no longer enslaved by the ups and downs. We can feel pain without becoming pain. We can feel joy without clinging to it. We become free.
The Roots of Liberation
In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali outlines the eightfold path, known as the ashtanga yoga path. This isn’t the sweaty power yoga most people think of. It’s a step-by-step guide for transforming the mind and eventually reaching liberation.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the eight limbs:
Yama – Ethical disciplines (nonviolence, truth, non-stealing, moderation, non-attachment)
Niyama – Personal observances (purity, contentment, discipline, self-study, surrender)
Asana – Physical postures
Pranayama – Breath control
Pratyahara – Withdrawal of the senses
Dharana – Concentration
Dhyana – Meditation
Samadhi – Union with the Divine
Samadhi is often described as the moment of moksha, when you become completely free of the illusion that you are separate, small, or broken.
But here’s the secret: you don’t have to wait until step eight to start experiencing liberation. Every time you sit in stillness, breathe mindfully, or choose love over fear, you’re tasting moksha.
Moksha Isn’t a Destination
A lot of people think of moksha as some distant spiritual achievement—like something you get after meditating in a cave for 30 years. But the truth is, moksha is right here. Right now.
When you pause before reacting.
When you speak with compassion.
When you breathe through discomfort instead of pushing it away.
That’s freedom.
And it’s worth noting that moksha isn’t about being perfect. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. Moksha means you are no longer bound by the need to prove, strive, or fix yourself. You’re already whole. You just forgot for a while.
Yoga helps us remember.
What Keeps Us from Feeling Free?
Even though we all want to feel free, most of us are carrying invisible chains.
Maybe it’s the chain of self-doubt—the voice that says you’re not good enough, not flexible enough, not spiritual enough.
Maybe it’s the chain of overdoing—filling your schedule, numbing out with scrolling, saying yes when you mean no.
Or maybe it’s the chain of past pain—the unresolved experiences that sit in your nervous system like static, keeping you stuck in cycles of fear or sadness.
Yoga doesn’t promise to instantly break those chains. But it does offer tools to slowly, compassionately loosen them. To see the places where we’re not free and breathe space into them.
And over time? You start to feel lighter. Brighter. More yourself.
That’s moksha.
A Practice for Inner Freedom
This Fourth of July, instead of just watching the fireworks, I invite you to take 20 minutes for a practice that celebrates the kind of freedom no one can take away: the freedom to be fully present, peaceful, and whole.
Here’s a short yoga + meditation sequence to help you experience moksha from the inside out.
🔹Mini Moksha Practice: A Taste of Inner Freedom (5–7 Minutes)
1. Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing) – 3 Minutes
Sit comfortably and gently close your eyes.
Close your right nostril with your thumb. Inhale slowly through the left nostril.
Close the left nostril with your ring finger, release the thumb, and exhale through the right.
Inhale right. Close the right nostril. Exhale left.
Repeat for 3 minutes, moving slowly and mindfully.
This breath practice balances the brain, soothes the nervous system, and helps you move beyond reactive thoughts into a place of calm awareness.
2. Silent Meditation with Affirmation – 2–4 Minutes
After breathing, sit quietly with your natural breath.
Each time your mind wanders, gently return to this affirmation:
“I am not my thoughts. I am free.”
Feel the spaciousness within you. Let that be your freedom.
Your Liberation Is Sacred
The world will always offer distractions. There will always be noise, chaos, and moments that trigger old patterns. But there is also a place inside you that has never been broken or bound. That place is your soul. Your Self. And it’s always free.
This Fourth of July, let’s celebrate that inner independence. Let’s honor not just the freedom to live as we choose—but the freedom to live as our truest, most peaceful selves.
Because that’s what yoga is about.
And that’s what moksha is.