I was in university for 11 years and three degrees. I spent more hours working in the laboratory (chemistry) than I can count (and certainly more than the university counted…). I loved it. Getting in there and independently researching what was happening inside things we cannot see was exciting for me.

When I committed to the Ashtanga Mysore method of yoga practice it felt like lighting a Bunsen burner – my practice quickly came alive in a new and exciting way. I was back in the laboratory, only this time the lab was inside me. There are so many things going on within us that we are unaware of and disconnected from. Deep seated impressions that we’re carrying forward, stories about who we are. Yoga is a method for gaining self-knowledge that enables us to lessen the grips of these stories and get to the essence of who we truly are. Initially motivated to equip myself with a better understanding of the postures and become more adept at teaching them, the practice has delivered on that front and brought with it so much more.

Not long ago I remarked to someone that I love practice and they asked me why, which led me to write this:

I love the breath, the sound, the rhythm and the sweat. Coming into the room to join with the energy created together is uplifting, supportive and rejuvenating. There has never been a moment when I regretted getting on my mat. I enjoy doing the work. It’s the old “chop wood, carry water” adage that serves as a cornerstone of Buddhist practice (and one of my favorite takeaways from the Bhagavad Gita) – do the work because it’s the right/good/appropriate/mutually beneficial thing to do, not because of the potential end result. Regardless the result we carry on with the work – accepting and evolving with it as things change.

From this daily toil comes another aspect that I love. I love that, if I let it be, the practice is free of doubt – it is a time wherein I do not have to wonder if I’m doing the right thing – faith grows strong. This aspect of practice takes time and repetition, but it does come. And then as soon as we start to get comfortable, a new posture comes along to shake things up. A skilled teacher/student partnership keeps a student working their edge to struggle through positions of discomfort/uncertainty/ego-stirring that are necessary to further one’s self along the path. The struggle is real and if approached in a healthy way leads to great awakenings.

I love the independence of Mysore. Just like those days back in grad school when nearly everything I did was self-motivated, so too is this practice. I’m the one that gets myself to the mat and I’m the one moving myself through the postures. That level of independence is not only life affirming it is fuel for the tapas generating internal fire that is responsible for keeping the devotion to practice stoked. Even when practicing in a room full of people, it’s just me on my mat exploring the inner workings of my being. Drishti (inward looking), posture and breath are all you need.

And on the flip side of that, I love the relationships that form within the community. Strong bonds develop organically that feed the soul – much of it without typical social interactions. It’s more primal – based on a shared energy. Even folks in the room that have only exchanged a few words feel like family. Camaraderie develops simply through showing up. Then when we do come together friendships abound.

Last, but not least, I love teaching Mysore. It is great fun to work with folks in the room — to be a part of your lab experiment. The experiences that have brought us to this point are unique and reflected in how we move, breath and think. To play some role in your efforts to develop knowledge and strength is truly an honor and a privilege and I  approach our time together with compassion, humility, patience, curiosity and respect. It’s so awesome that it’s my job! Thank you and I hope to meet you on the mat soon!

All this brings to mind a sutra (from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras):

1.14  sa tu dirgha-kala-nairantarya-satkarasevito dridha-bhumih    

Practice is the effort to remain firmly grounded in one’s own Self. It is cultivated over a

long time through constant right effort, reverent and dedicated energy, and great love.

As my good friend Jen René once said to a large group of students,

to maintain this practice “you’ve got to love it!”.