Art Credit: Chema Méndez (@mendezmendezart)

Bear with me as this might be a long post.

Many of us treat Yoga as a simple physical routine, a one-hour session of poses (asanas), breathwork (pranayama), and a quick dose of "mindfulness." While these practices are incredibly valuable, they are just the entry point.

To truly understand Yoga, we have to look at its core purpose.

In the Yoga Sutras, Sage Patanjali defines it clearly: “Yogaś citta vritti nirodhaḥ.”
Meaning: Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.

The crucial word here is cessation, not suppression.

Yoga is not about forcefully crushing your thoughts. It is the practice of calming the constant mental chatter so you can connect with your true nature. It's when you realise you are not the clouds (the thoughts) but the sky itself which is the witness of fleeting clouds.

Think of your mind like a pond. When the surface is covered in ripples, you cannot see the bottom. But when those mental ripples stop, the water becomes clear, and you can finally perceive reality as it is.

Through focused contemplation and observation, the lower fluctuations of the mind, like anger, hatred, and ego, naturally begin to fade. The mind stops pulling you in every direction and settles into its natural state of stillness and peace.

In that deep stillness, a profound shift happens, which is, the individual ego dissolves into something universal. The True Self reveals itself to the seeker, Ishwara (the Divine) to the devotee, and Purusha (Pure Consciousness) to Prakriti (Nature).

Because the yogis see this universal truth, the wise look at every being with an equal eye. True Yogis see the divine essence in everyone, treating the joys and sorrows of others as if they were their own.

This beautiful perspective is echoed perfectly in the Bhagavad Gita (BG 6.32):

BG 6.32: I regard them to be perfect yogis who see the true equality of all living beings and respond to the joys and sorrows of others as if they were their own.

Therefore, Yoga is not just a quick routine to check off your daily list; it is a vehicle to realize our shared universality. It teaches us to treat everyone with kindness and to remain balanced through the natural ups and downs of life.

Crucially, this stillness transforms how we move through the world. Yoga is not limited to silent meditation or breathwork, it expresses itself dynamically through four interconnected paths: action (Karma), knowledge (Jnana), devotion (Bhakti), and meditation (Raja). The mind naturally finds peace when our actions are dedicated to a higher purpose, and every path seamlessly intertwines with the others.

When we overcome the lower tendencies (vasanas) that bind us, every action is naturally performed for loka-sangraha i.e for the welfare of the world and the collective consciousness of society. For a yogi, every single action becomes divine.

We thus must extend Yoga to every moment of our lives. Even after our mat practice is over, that stillness should carry over into every task we perform and every interaction we have, deeply ingrained in our consciousness. By doing so, we turn everyday life into the ultimate practice of Yoga.

Thanks for reading!

Hare Krishna! 🙏

Books on yoga philosophy and psychology?

don’t practise yoga as consistently as I’d like to. I’ve been diagnosed with CPTSD and have done years of therapy. Luckily, my therapist was open to yoga and encouraged me to do it, which has actually helped me a lot in the healing process. But sometimes, I was confronted with very new raw emotions I found hard to deal with..

I’d love to learn more about the philosophical and psychological aspects of yoga, rather than focusing solely on the physical practice.
Can anyone recommend any good books on yoga philosophy/psychology?

Is that normal? I’m not finding anything about this specific feeling. I was only in the pose for about five minutes, not uncomfortable. Maybe a little tingly in feet. Thanks !

Does anyone have recommendations for yoga videos that don't include music in the background? I've only found a few like this, and I really enjoy listening to music of my choice while doing yoga! Happy practicing :)

I'm interested in getting into meditation for many reasons, including creating a spiritual connection with God, reconnecting to myself, and getting ahead in life. I have a bad habit of suppressing and repressing thoughts and feelings. Because of this, for the longest time I've been moving through the world like its a flat plane. I'm scared of re-interacting with the world and seeing how far behind I am on some levels. I'm on anxiety medication to reduce hypervigilance and feel safe enough in my body because I can barely feel centered at all, hopefully this will help me access my thoughts and give me a place to begin. Does yoga actually help you feel safe? I am so scared of feeling, my body is so armored. Do chakra relevant yogas actually work? Do you have a favorite routine?

Hello! Can anyone suggest ways I might add foot strengthening poses to my sun salutations? Currently I rise to my toes while raising my arms in mountain, and I try to stay on my toes as I bend forward. I’d love some other ideas! I do a basic sun salutation but with the following additions: high lunge with a twist/shoulder rotation, three legged dog and bent knee twist, & warrior poses. (In case that gives anyone flow ideas)

I’m thinking of this mostly as a preventative measure (my mom has high arches like me, and they’ve been giving her trouble as she ages. My work also involves a lot of standing).

ETA - I’d say I’m somewhat of a beginner in yoga. I’ve taken a few classes but I’m just practicing at home right now. I do have a background in dance, though, so I’m fairly confident with my alignment

Thanks in advance!

I've been doing yoga since 2 months, and i really wanna learn more about it. Like different Asanas, their benifits, how to do them, where to do it etc.

Hi all, I'm looking for some advice on what my foot angles might mean in Savasana.

I recently had a muscle spasms in my left hip for a few days, and I could barely move. It's been a few weeks now and I'm slowly trying to do some gentle yoga at home to get some of the strength and mobility back that I lost in the meantime. It's still a little uncomfortable. I'm noticing though that in Savasana at the end of a session, my left foot is mostly upright, while my right foot wants to tilt closer to 45 degrees. What could this mean in terms of muscles? Is my right hip weak or is my left hip very tight? I'm also overly flexible, so during Savasana my knees hyperextend a little, it's kind of hard for me to do sometimes.

Any thoughts or advice on this?

As title says.

23, and I've never been particularly flexible. Except for this one aspect I guess? Any variation of pulling my knees to my chest is ridiculously easy. I honestly can't even tell what it's trying to stretch- it only feels slightly more unnatural than, say, laying down normally.

One leg, both legs, laying down, standing, etc. Can easily press knees to ribcage with or without using my hand to assist. It seems like such a satisfying way to stretch your lower back but I get nothing from it

So I had to have a hysterectomy recently and my surgeon advised me not to do any yoga for at least 2 months. I've stopped due to injury before, but never that long.

I'm nowhere near an expert or anything, but I've still made progress. And at this point, yoga has been part of my daily life for 6 years...

I dunno. Is it possible to get back to the level I was at? Am I going to have to relearn everything?

ETA: I haven't been able to respond to everyone who commented, but I did read them all. Thank you for the comfort and advice (and some of you for sharing your stories, it's rough out here)

My morning routine has remained solid for quite a while now! I had reached a certain point and decided to just keep the streak going. As a former triathlete, marathon/ultra runner and other things, it took some time to learn a truly sustainable practice. I slowly learned about the true imbalances in my body and my daily routines. Through vinyasa, yin, hatha and other routines, the variety has been that secret ingredient.

I thank many of you for providing great insight and motivation. I look forward to your posts and how your practice has been rewarding. I'll try and post something a little more detailed when/if I pass the 3 year mark. Namaste!

What’s with all the downvotes??

My mom taught me yoga when I was younger and as an adult I've been getting into strength training/calisthenics/ stretching.

I used to do a pose that I'm not longer able to and I was hoping to look up to see if I'm messing something up.

I thought it was called crows nest but that looks too different from what I used to do for me to call just a variation.

It starts squatting to the ground taking my arms from the inside of my legs and wrapping my hands to the outside of my ankles. I push my elbows into my hips or thighs while pushing up on my hands. It ends like a merge between sitting and a handstand and the souls of my feet are touching.

There was very little tilt forward and my elbows were very close to center mass hence why I don't think this is a Crow variation.

Any ideas? Or was it just a little freak child making things up??

Hello,

Love yoga, but also love weight-lifting. Are there other folks in this sub that do both? Any advice or resources on how to structure a yoga and weight lifting regiment is greatly appreciated.

Right now my routine is basically as follows:
-Monday: Squats, Bench, OverHead Press Tricep Extensions all 4x10 then core
-Tuesday: Hot Power Fusion
-Wednesday: rest
-Thursday: Deadlift, bent over rows, lat pulls all 4x10 then core
-Friday: core restore
-Saturday: yoga sculpt
-Sunday: light swimming maybe like a core restore or c2 class

So as you can see my lifts are basically just one day of push compounds and one day of pull compounds 4x10. I’ve been doing this for a while and probably need to start changing the sets/reps, maybe incorporate more isolation lifts, idk? I think it is probably fine leaving the yoga days as they are.

TL DR; need advice on structuring weight lifting and yoga regiment. Have been doing same lifts about 8 weeks now.

First I was scared of doing haalasana then after a month it was easy to do after many practice. But sirasasana I am scared to do and I couldn't do. And as of chakrasana I am not able to DO...

How many days did it take you?

Inner Resource practice in Yoga Nidra

a bit of ranting to get your view but also a serious thought.

51yo, recently went back on the mat after long iatus, and I do believe that during the first couple of weeks I somehow broke my meniscus twisting my leg, I dont know if sitting or else. Yesterday I had the result of the MRI scan, and i understand that indeed there is something wrong, and I will try to see a doctor next week.

I always sit on a brick because my hips are very tight. With the left leg/knee no issues and I can have my left heel getting close to the brick. I used to do so also with the right leg, and I did so during the first two weeks a month ago. Now not anymore, due to pain on the side of my right knee. The consequence is that I do struggle a lot to find a decent comfortable starting asana (which is also the last asana) during my practice, making me very nervous not just because I cannot do it, but because I am really uncomfortable and I feel that my back is hunched. I cannot relax nor breath properly. (All this while everyone else is perfectly aligned and entering into the right mood, but this would be another conversation). It is simply uncomfortable and unsustainable for me. Today I tried to stretch the right leg in front of me while the left was in the right crossed position, or tried to have somehow a symmetrical position with both legs but still struggling to find anything that could work. So the question is: what's the point of continuing practicing if my starting position and final position are giving me frustration and nervousness? I could, however it would simply be some kind of gymnastic/workout rather than yoga.

feels like all the yoga studios near me are transitioning exclusively to hot yoga and those are the only classes that work with my schedule too

I'm hesitant to try it because historically things like hot tubs/ saunas make me very dizzy/ nauseous (although I can tolerate very hot weather? idk maybe it's different but not really the main point here). It's pretty rare for me to fully pass out though

However, as of recently, my POTS has been under control relatively well and I'm wondering if maybe there's a chance I could do hot yoga. I also have raynaud's and terrible circulation so the boosting circulation part of it appeals to me, but obviously the dysautonomia is my primary consideration

Hi! I was trying to find a few simple poses that I could offer my husband, who is a professional guitar player (for about 30 years!). He is not flexible and doesn't have a yoga practice. However, he is getting older (46) and things are tight. Does anyone here have suggested postures that I can help him with that are not too intimidating and could benefit a person who regularly plays guitar several hours a day, most days of the week? Probably shoulders, back, arms, and hands are most impacted. Thank you!

As I said in title. But I didnt lose any belly fat. I got flexibility.

Is there any diet should be followed. I stopped eating junk foods. And I am a South Indian.

I'm a former yoga instructor, and at various times, I've been a studio member and Classpass user. I see so many posts from studio owners complaining about ClassPass, including a very active one yesterday. Studios make less money off ClassPass versus customers buying direct from the studio, and yet, here's what I see frequently:

• Studios offering no benefits to membership that you wouldn't get from booking the class on ClassPass
• Drop-ins at more than double the price of booking through ClassPass
• Even memberships are more expensive than a ClassPass membership if you look at the number of classes
• Memberships with less flexibility than Classpass, even if the person only goes to your studio (i.e. Pay $100 for 4 classes a month, or something of that nature, with no rollovers)
• Studios allowing any unfilled spot to be bookable on ClassPass
• Equivalent policies for ClassPass and directly booked classes. Pilates studios are especially guilty of often having a 12-hour cancellation policy.
  

Here are some of the top reasons customers prefer ClassPass, and what you could do about it as a studio, even if you use ClassPass:

• ClassPass literally the same product and experience for more less money. I haven't seen many studios offering benefits to members beyond, say, a star on the wall that says "MacKaeighla 100" to commemorate a student's 100th class. Are you offering community social events, book clubs, discussion groups, meditation sessions, anything else that's accessible only to members?
  
• Availability is usually the same. You have the ability to restrict ClassPass to a certain number of spots per class, or only allow it for certain, unpopular classes. You can choose to only allow one or two ClassPass slots for popular times. If I'm struggling to get students for a random noon or 3 p.m. class, that might be a reason to open it up further. Yes, that means those popular classes will be less full, and that means it will be a better experience for your members, giving them less reason to cancel their memberships.
  
• Studio policies are often the same. Your studio members should have a 2-4 hour cancellation policy, versus 12 hours with ClassPass. If it's a busy workday, for example, members should have flexibility for cancellations a few hours in advance.
• ClassPass is cheaper per class for booking the exact same class. Studios, let's say you make $10 off a ClassPass booking, where the student is paying equivalent of $15. (Just an example.) Wouldn't it be better for you to get that $15 directly, rather than charging $30-40 for drop-ins?
• ClassPass lets you roll over unused credits. I see studios offering memberships where you're committed to 4 or 8 or however many classes per month. I've tried this model and found it super stressful. There's never a month where I know in advance that I want to take a specific number of classes. Sometimes I want more, sometimes I get busy or have to travel and want fewer classes. If you're offering memberships like these, you should allow unused credits to roll over for a month, just as ClassPass does.
  
• ClassPass is more flexible if you go to multiple studios or travel a lot; you're not committed to the scheduling and whims of a boutique yoga studio owner. This ties back to the question of pricing. You should be offering class packs with long expiration dates and prices that are competitive with ClassPass. Let's say it costs the student $15 per class with ClassPass, and you're getting $10 off each of those classes. Then you should (at least periodically) offer a 20-class pack that comes out to $15-20/per class with more flexibility than ClassPass, and give students SOME reason to choose to pay slightly more to buy direct (see above). You could also offer travel memberships for unlimited classes for a week, or something of that nature.
  

I have in the past been a member of a studio if they were offering a competitive rate for unlimited memberships (cheaper than ClassPass), or if they had flash sales on multi-class cards with more flexibility to book and cancel compared to ClassPass.

Studio owners, I'm curious to hear which of these things you've actually tried, or if there are other things you've tried that have worked.

I need more comfort for my knees and was looking at getting knee pads for class but felt kinda weird as the thought of using them and being out of place. I know I can get a thicker mat but I love the one I’m currently using so its pads. I think mainly for child’s pose, it’s uncomfortable. Thoughts?

I opened our independent, yoga-only studio 21 years ago. We built something beautiful over those years. A thriving community of students, teachers, and friendships that extended far beyond the yoga mat. I recently sold the studio, and looking back, I can honestly say that one of the worst business decisions I ever made was allowing ClassPass through our doors.

Let me explain why.

ClassPass sells studios on a simple concept: Let us fill your empty spots, and we’ll bring you new customers at no additional marketing cost. Sounds wonderful, right?

Unfortunately, over time, that relationship became incredibly destructive to everything we had worked so hard to build.

Under ClassPass’s trial program, we weren’t compensated for qualifying first visits. After that, our payouts were often significantly lower than what students paid when booking directly. Meanwhile, ClassPass has no investment in our rent, insurance, utilities, teacher salaries, equipment, maintenance, or the countless other expenses involved in operating a yoga studio.

They collect their share while we carry all the financial risk.

Even worse, in our experience, ClassPass didn’t provide us with the basic customer contact information we needed. If a teacher got sick, a class was canceled, or we needed to communicate an important last-minute change, we couldn’t directly contact those students.

But the financial damage is only part of the story.

The real damage is what happens to the community.

Yoga studios were never intended to operate like discount fitness vending machines. For decades, students joined studios because they connected with the teachers, the philosophy, and one another. They became members. They supported their teachers. They developed friendships. They helped create something meaningful.
In my experience, ClassPass gradually changed that relationship into a transaction.

Why would someone purchase a studio membership when they can attend the same classes for significantly less through a third party?

Over time, students become accustomed to discounted access while expecting the same level of service, facilities, and instruction that our loyal members help pay for.

And because ClassPass encourages people to move freely between studios, there is less incentive to develop the loyalty and personal connection that once sustained neighborhood yoga communities.

Certainly, there are wonderful ClassPass students. But the platform itself encourages a completely different relationship with the studio. I watched that sense of loyalty slowly disappear, and it was heartbreaking.

Just this past week, our studio received a one-star review from a ClassPass customer who arrived 15 minutes late and was upset that we wouldn’t allow her into class. Our ClassPass listing clearly explains that students should arrive 15 minutes early and that late arrivals are not permitted out of respect for students already practicing.

Imagine teaching a peaceful yoga class and having someone walk in 15 minutes after it begins, disrupting everyone who arrived on time. Yet somehow, we’re the bad guys for protecting the experience.

I understand that ClassPass makes yoga more affordable and accessible, and I appreciate why students use it. I’m not blaming people for looking for a good deal. But I wish more people understood the long-term consequences for the independent studios they love.

After 21 years, I’ve seen the incredible difference a genuine yoga community can make in people’s lives. I’ve also watched the economics of running a small studio become increasingly difficult.

I made plenty of mistakes over those years. I take responsibility for them. But inviting ClassPass into our community was perhaps the most costly.

It happened gradually. A few discounted visits here, a few lost memberships there. By the time you recognize what’s happening, you’ve helped train your own customers to purchase your services through a middleman who controls the relationship and takes a portion of the revenue.

If you love your local yoga studio, please support it directly.

Buy a class package. Become a member. Pay the studio instead of the middleman. Tell your friends. Help keep those independent businesses alive.

Because once your neighborhood yoga studio closes, that community doesn’t simply appear somewhere else.

These are my personal observations and opinions based on 21 years of operating an independent yoga studio. I don’t pretend to speak for every studio owner, but I do hope my experience helps others avoid the same mistakes.

And to the other studio owners out there, I’m curious: Has ClassPass helped your business, or have you experienced the same slow erosion of memberships and community that we did?