Have you ever noticed that when humans try to talk about God, awakening, truth, or the divine we almost never explain it directly?

Instead, we tell stories. We say life is a battlefield. God is a shepherd. The soul is a river returning to the sea. The self is two birds sitting in the same tree.

Across cultures, centuries, and spiritual traditions, mystics don't simply define the divine, they paint it.

In this episode, I take you on a kind of devotional poetry slam through sacred metaphor. We'll explore passages from the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Psalms, and yogic philosophy to see how spiritual traditions use image, story, and symbol to help us feel our relationship with the divine.

Because metaphor doesn't just help the mind understand. It gives the nervous system somewhere to rest.

We'll explore:

🔹 Why sacred texts use metaphor to describe the divine

🔹 What the Gita, Bible, and Upanishads reveal through images like rivers, shepherds, chariots, and birds

🔹 How metaphor helps us feel spiritual truth instead of just understand it intellectually

🔹 How sacred imagery can support meditation, teaching, and everyday life

This is part one of a two-part episode on sacred metaphor, divine imagery, and why stories may be one of the most powerful spiritual technologies we have.

If you've ever felt moved by a line of scripture, a yoga teaching, a poem, or an image you couldn't fully explain this episode will help you understand why.

✨ Loving the podcast?

Leaving a quick review on Apple Podcasts is one of the best ways to support the show and help more yogis discover these teachings.

Tap here to leave a review:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-uplifted-yoga-podcast/id1097989571?action=write-review

(If the link opens the show page instead of reviews, just scroll down and click on "Ratings & Reviews" then tap "Write a Review.")

And if you want to understand where the Gita, Upanishads, Yoga Sutras, Tantra, and other sacred yoga texts all fit together, my History of Yoga course is a beautiful next step. Get it here => https://www.brettlarkin.com/history-of-yoga-course/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=hoy

FREE Practice: Feminine Energy Chakra Meditation 💗 Relax into Your Divine Feminine Energy Channel 🌸 CHAKRA BLISS

Relevant Blog: Understanding What is Divine Love: Key Insights and Perspectives

Relevant to Today's Episode:

🕉️ History of Yoga

🐍 Yoga for Self Mastery

💖 Uplifted Membership

🎧 Also Listen to:

#297 – What is Samkhya Philosophy and How is it Different from Yoga?

#358 – Intro to The Bhagavad Gita: How Do You Navigate Moral Dilemmas?

#401 – Who Has Your Attention? Attention Economy vs the Ancient Path

© 2026 Uplifted Yoga | BrettLarkin.com

How the Divine Speaks: Sacred Symbolism in the Gita, Bible & Upanishads Part 1

The Uplifted Yoga Podcast

How the Divine Speaks: Sacred Symbolism in the Gita, Bible & Upanishads Part 1