Teaching Yoga Postures
Do I enjoy teaching yoga asana? Yes.
But are postures the end-all, be-all of this lifelong practice? No.
People ask me this question often.
Today, I took the time to reflect — to sit in silence.
I could write an entire book about the benefits of stepping onto the mat — breathing consciously, training the mind toward focus and awareness, inhabiting this human body with intelligence and care. The physical practice is powerful. It steadies us. It strengthens us. It refines attention.
But it is not the whole of yoga.
Anyone who has truly spent years practicing — and doing the inner work — knows that the real yoga happens off the mat.
I’m not interested in debating definitions. Yoga can mean many things to many people. For me, it is a way of living.
It is honoring all beings.
It is standing your ground when it matters.
It is speaking up for yourself when necessary — unapologetically.
It is learning healthy boundaries.
It is placing the oxygen mask on yourself first so you can genuinely care for others.
Yoga teaches me to slow down. To smell the flowers. To plant a garden. To treat others with dignity. To live by the simple truth: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Living your yoga is a daily practice.
It is catching yourself in your mistakes.
Doing better when you know better.
Recognizing that we are free beings — and that while it may sound cliché, we are part of something larger than ourselves.
There is the macro and the micro.
I see many people speak grand philosophies about peace and love — yet struggle to be kind to the neighbor next door, the person at the coffee shop, the server at a restaurant, the colleague down the hall.
This is where yoga is tested.
Life will humble you. It will bring you to your knees when you least expect it. And those moments — painful as they are — become our greatest teachers. They strip away ego. They reveal truth. They offer us the opportunity to begin again.
Gratitude is a powerful frequency.
Be grateful for life as it is.
Look around. Be present.
Every day is an invitation.
Love exists in every breath.
The challenges we face strengthen us. Do not mistake someone who walks the path of peace for someone who is weak. True peace requires courage. Stand your ground. Believe in yourself.
There is chaos in the world. Let your life be a beacon of strength and light.
Stop living to impress. Start living in truth.
I am not moved by performance. I am moved by authenticity. Often the quietest lives — the ones unseen and unannounced — hold the strongest backbones on this Earth.
Tune out the noise. Social media. The constant commentary. The endless opinions.
No one can tell you who you are or how to think.
The answers are within you.
But for them to blossom, you/we must cultivate silence.
Photo credit: This photo was taken as at The House of Blues New Orleans for our artist series yoga event.