What is the purpose of the practice?
What is the purpose of the practice?
Nothing about yoga is permanent, static, or universal. As of course you know already, the only consistent part of our human life is impermanence. Within that fluidity though, I am going to share my personal {current} thoughts on the purpose of the practice so that I may take a stand for something.
I would like to take a stand for a yoga {asana, pranayama, meditation} that cultivates clarity. I would like to advocate for a practice that teaches us to be present in the face of discomfort and hardship, but does not ask us to be happy and relaxed about it.
I hope to teach that anger {and other “negative” emotions} aren’t bad or “unspiritual”, but are an important part of our practice that shows us what isn’t working in our life anymore.
I saw a quote from a popular “spiritual” teacher that said, “When I am upset it is always because I have replaced reality with illusions I’ve made up.” And I thought, “Or maybe it is because something terrible has happened, and upset, sad, and angry are totally appropriate emotions to feel.”
Right y’all?
I once saw on Facebook a popular yoga teacher commenting on the state of her students as they left class, “They were so high there were coats and sweatshirts totally forgotten and left behind. They were so blissed out I saw people hopping over curbs as they drove out of the parking lot.” And I thought, “Is that the purpose of our practice? To be so “high” that we are spaced out and disconnected from reality?”
I would like to argue that it is not.
Often practice IS enjoyable and makes us feel better. If it is a real and deep practice however, it won’t and shouldn’t always cultivate a feeling of “blissing out”. Our practice can and should provide the friction that helps us wake up to our current experience.
Yoga {asana, pranayama, meditation} is the process of uniting the mind and body in the same place and time, via the breath. This is practiced with the intention of waking up, again and again, to the present moment. Our current experience may sometimes be blissful, but will also be uncomfortable, tired, or sad. It is in being able to sit with those feelings in an accepting and compassionate way that we cultivate a practice that is useful.
My brilliant friend, Natalie Miller {Co-owner of Willow Street Yoga}, said it best:
“Perhaps most importantly, practice expands our awareness, so we are able to see ourselves, our lives, our situations more clearly. By clearing and calming our headspace, practice enables us to prioritize- and invest in- the pursuits that resonate with our deepest intentions.”