Yoga citta vritti nirodhah: Calming the fluctuations of the mind is practice.

Yoga citta vritti nirodhah. This Yoga Sutra tells us that Yoga stills the fluctuations of the mind. It most certainly doesn’t happen overnight, but in a sustained and committed practice. Notice that word we use in Yoga… Practice. It is our duty to practice stilling our thoughts, especially intrusive ones. Let’s examine an example of what that could look like.

Mid yoga class I had a student roll up his mat and walk out. Anytime this happens, I always check to make sure they’re feeling okay. When I asked him, he stated back to me (quite emphatically) that he needed QUIET to practice yoga and how could he practice with all this talking. (Read: Me- instructing) He told the manager of the studio as well.

Now, if you know me at all, you know that first and foremost, way above class numbers and way above popularity, I strive solely to be a good and safe instructor. I take great pride teaching true to the integrity of the lineage I am teaching. Today I was teaching Hot 26 Series. Again, if you know anything about this series, there is a dialogue attached to every point of reference in every posture. This is a systematically taught practice and with good reason. However, I love to give alternatives, but safe alternatives. (i.e.) if you can’t ‘lock your knee’ (ugh- discussion for another time) or straighten your standing leg with weight properly distributed; you have no business kicking out your leg. This is NOT because we are Yoga Nazis. 😅This is because of low back/pelvis safety. I could go on forever just on this one instruction but that’s not the point. These are just examples of seeing the bigger picture.

My point is this:

Yoga teaches us to endure the complications of life. It does not remove them.

Read that again.

More often that not, I see students being coddled and frankly held to a lower standard to appease the Ego of the teacher and/or student! This is not serving ANYONE. I’m not saying push past your threshold, I’m saying practice safely. Listen to your teachers. Most of us have trained for many many hours and spent ridiculous amounts of money to learn this practice. I’m not for everyone. I’m okay with that. But if you come to my class, and you can’t stay because it’s not quiet enough? You have zero idea what yoga is about. When is the world around us quiet because we want it to be?

Check yourself.

This student had an opportunity to learn something about himself but chose to place blame outside himself instead. I’ve told my students many, many times... if you can’t find calm in the midst of a difficult situation in a yoga class, how will you respond in life when presented with difficult situations?

We come to our mats to learn to work the breath, listen to the body and learn to respond instead of react. If you find yourself in a yoga class about to react, about to walk out, ask yourself this question:

Am I safe?

If so, stay in the class, find the present, become still and tune in.

Then ask yourself ‘What am I truly reacting toward?’

It’s not the Yoga. It’s the user. It’s not the teacher, it’s your response or reaction.

You simply must learn to listen to your body and your breath and respond accordingly to practice presence. That is Yoga.