Let’s Just Say It – Is Your Yoga Practice Really Enough?

In today’s blog post, we’re going to be talking about something that a lot of yoga people, teachers, and practitioners may not want to admit:

Is your yoga practice really enough?

In today’s blog post, we’re going to be talking about something that a lot of yoga people, teachers, and practitioners may not want to admit:

Is your yoga practice really enough?

The first answer is YES, it fulfils you on the inside and it’s enough to sustain you when you leave the mat.

The second answer is NO. You have a great practice and you feel super alive, however, when you get out into the parking lot and somebody rear-ends your car or you get a tough phone call from the doctor’s office, the world comes crashing down on you.

What is your answer? 

Is yoga practice itself enough to sustain you?

An Interesting Question Many People Ask

I was speaking recently with a wonderful student, somebody I see as an ideal student, both in class and on yoga retreats I lead. She had a very interesting question:

“You know, Sara, I have had the experience recently, where I go every day to I practice and I sweat and I feel good and I sort of feel like, what’s the point of this? What am I going with all of this energy?”

Her question brought up a crucial point which is that yoga itself is just a tool. 

Yoga allows us to engage more fully in our lives but it’s up to us to do that engaging. It’s up to us to choose how we want to spend the energy we’ve created so intensely and with such intention.

You can certainly get on your mat, sweat, do your poses, do your physical practice and then go home and read gossip magazines or maybe just smoke a joint all day.

But I don’t think these reasons are why you practice yoga in the first place!

What’s The Point Of Practicing Yoga?

The answer to this question comes from the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali. As you know, yoga is a discipline which takes a huge amount of commitment. If you’re getting on your mat day after day, there is a reason for it.

There’s something deeper in you, which is motivating you to make that change, so that you can show up in your life and function more effectively.

The phrase ‘yoga off the mat’ is kind of a buzz term now but in my humble opinion, you can’t really understand yoga off the mat and mindfulness unless you have been delving into the Yoga Sūtras to some degree, ideally with a teacher.

What Is Your Why?

When you commit yourself to yoga, you have to know your why.

What makes you want to be stronger, physically and mentally?

What makes you want to show up on your mat day after day, even when you’re tired and drained?

What makes you feel like what you’re doing is not enough and you want to do more?

It’s difficult to answer this question if we’re not clear, if we’re moving a thousand miles an hour.

This is why the Yoga Sūtras tell us practice is so crucial. Yoga practice is an important vehicle for gaining clarity from which we can take those right steps and actions to function in a way which serves the whole planet, even people we’ve never met.

In our moment of clarity, we know our why.

We know what makes us want to keep going and we know what our greatest passion in life is.  We know why we want to keep learning, growing, and doing for others around us.

We need to know what we are doing with the energy we gain from yoga practice. Are we just engaging in loud Facebook rants with other people, commenting back and forth?

Or are we really stepping into our world and making a difference?

Beyond Yoga in Peru

I have found that with every retreat that I lead, I’m attracting people who want to make a difference. People who want to take the level of functioning in their lives, not just to one that is good, effective and enjoyable to them, but to one that makes an impact for their community, or even the whole world.

I’m going to be leading a retreat in Peru in April of 2018 called Beyond Yoga in Peru, Perspectives and Power. I would love to have you on it if it resonates with you.

We’re going to be delving deeply into that topic of “why do you do what you do”?

Why do you take the time and put in the energy, get onto your mat every single day?

Because I guarantee, there are a million other things you could do, which are much easier, if you just wanted to just burn some calories and stay fit.

What’s Your Motivator?

Tell me, what motivates you to go the extra mile off the mat when you feel like your physical practice isn’t enough?

How do you make it happen?
I’d like to invite you to write in your comments and bring your feedback.
I’d like to think of this as a little bit of a think tank because I really value your opinion and I would love to hear from you.

Have a wonderful day,
Namaste.

Sara xox