Yoga without the Divine is Half The Story

Remember that definition of yoga you learned way back in your first yoga teacher training? Or the first time you read the yoga sutras?

You might have heard that yoga means to "yoke" or "unite." Your teacher may have eloquently described how when your movement is linked with your breath, that's yoga.

Hmm... is that really true?

Don't get me wrong, I have said that very same thing to many students, many times.

Starting out in a yoga asana class, this makes sense. First step, breathe. Second step, try to keep breathing while you move. Third step, try to keep focusing on your breath even when it's hard.

But what about the fourth step, or the fifth? What about the possibility of yoga when you're not moving? When you're in traffic, or in line at the grocery store? And what about when your parent dies and you're left weeping in the darkness of your closet when no one else is home? 

Surely yoga, in all it's wisdom, has more to offer than just linking movement with breath. 

Oh, and then there's the grand illusion that we think we're uniting with other people when we practice yoga asana. Sure - maybe, after class we smile at our classmates. Or we're more kind to those we see throughout the rest of the day. But - there's the other side to our interpersonal relationships in yoga class. And I'm sure you've felt awfully separate and pissed off in class from time to time.

(Thank you for being honest).

So let's get real. We are working on the whole "I ought to feel more compassion towards others," and "I wish I wasn't so judgmental of my friends and family... or myself" but we are often doing it without the power to do it.

We have been convinced, brainwashed even, to think that our ego has the power to save the day and end all our suffering. If only we could get to our cushion every morning, eat totally vegan, and remember our mantra all the freakin time. If only we weren't so lazy, undisciplined, or unmotivated.

Uggh. I've had enough.

Our egos can't do it. And that doesn't mean we've failed. 

The power of yoga (true, ultimate yoga - the yoking of the individual with the entirety) comes from surrendering to the Divine.

The power to love our neighbor comes from the Divine.

The power to accept our friends and family... just as they are... comes from the Divine.

The power to accept ourselves and all of our limitations comes from the Divine.

And this, to me, is closer to the whole story. We must have a willingness to look at the limitations of our own self and of our analytical mind to experience yoga. We must sit down, shut up, and take in what happens in silence. Only then can we stop the madness of our ego clinging and feel whole.  

A Thousand "No's"

One of my favorite online mentors is a man named Jeff Walker. Not only is he an entrepreneur, but he's a meditator, a tea drinker, and a "yogi in disguise," as I like to call them.

Jeff has mastered the art of slowing down - and you'd never know it if you look at his financial success or his incredible online following.

But over the years I've watched countless videos of Jeff talking about the power of yin energy (in his own words).

This video just came out, and I'm so excited to share it with you. I think you'll find it really valuable no matter what it is you need to focus on.

Meet Sarah Powers

When I was 26 I met Sarah Powers at a workshop in Lenox, Massachusetts. I had anticipated meeting her with great enthusiasm. Her book, Insight Yoga, radically changed my personal practice of yoga, and helped me understand how slow, passive postures offered a much needed counterpart to vinyasa yoga. 

Sarah was offering a short Yin Yoga Teacher Training, and one of the only in-person trainings on the East Coast at that time.  

Her energy was warm, and rich. She emitted a calm, peaceful presence that I now know to be the mark of a dedicated practitioner. 

Sarah currently teaches workshops and retreats all around the globe, and while her resume and credentials are absolutely outstanding, it's not her academic rigor or her years of experience, but her compassion and heart that I wish to share with you. 

If you haven't yet read her book, I encourage you to pick up your copy soon. Insight Yoga explores the Taoist principals of yin and yang with great clarity, and provides detailed instructions of how to practice a variety of asanas for the whole body/mind matrix. 

Sarah's website, www.sarahpowers.com is a valuable resource for yogis and non-yogis alike, to learn about themselves and come to a greater understanding of the nature of mind. She writes an incredible blog, with recent posts like "The Suffering of Change is Not Inevitable," and quotes like  "life is to be met with sacredness as it is so beautifully and poignantly fleeting."

Sarah's eyes always seem to glisten with a sincere sweetness. During our time together, she spoke of organs, and meridians. She spoke of emotions, and mindfulness. I still have a feeling of closeness towards her in my heart.

A unique attribute of Sarah is that she weaves her stories of family life and relationships into her teachings in a way that is relevant and poignant to those of us who also have families... and relationships. There are so many nuns, monks, priests, and aesthetics who teach about meditation and consciousness.... that to have a down-to-earth, "I've lived this stuff just like you..." kind of teacher, is priceless. 

Sarah also has a few DVDs available for purchase on her website, so you can practice with her expert guidance any time you'd like. And no, she didn't pay me, or ask me to publish any of this. As her student, I am honored to share her teachings and find great joy in spreading the light of her practice.