Teaching Yoga… Differently
One thing I learned on a recent yoga retreat was this: my concern about how yoga is being taught and treated these days in Western culture is, unfortunately, well-founded. Somewhere along the way, much of it has drifted far from what yoga actually is.
And let me be clear: yoga itself hasn’t changed one bit. The ancient teachings are still as wise, profound, and transformative as ever. Yoga is timeless. It’s we who’ve changed it. Somewhere between the leggings, playlists, perfectly curated class selfies, and obsession with nailing the perfect handstand, yoga became more about “look at me” and less about “look within.”
And so, I’ve decided to do something about it.
As a longtime practitioner and senior teacher, this realization landed deep. It stirred something in me. It reminded me of the vows I made when I first stepped into this role - not just to teach people how to move, but how to live and breathe yoga in a way that matters.
Yoga asks more of us. It invites us to live in alignment,
to be present, to go within as opposed to constantly seeking from outside ourselves, and to remember who
we really are beneath all the doing.
I do want to add this because it’s also true that when yoga first arrived in the U.S., our culture gravitated toward the physical side of it - because, well, that’s kind of what we do. We noticed the physical benefits and ran with them, focusing almost entirely on the body while letting many of yoga’s deeper, more essential teachings fade into the background. Long before the age of the internet, social media, and selfies, we were already doing yoga a bit of a disservice.
So from now on, I will no longer let a class go by without weaving in the true teachings of yoga.
The principles. The roots. The purpose. You’ll hear more about the Eight Limbs of Yoga, the Yamas and Niyamas (the moral and ethical compass of the practice), and more importantly, why they matter and how they translate into everyday life. I’ll share what they mean and how they can quietly (or profoundly) change the way we move through our days.
I’ll also do my best to lead by example - to live my yoga, not just teach it. Because being a teacher isn’t about perfect alignment or fancy poses; it’s about integrity, humility, kindness, and remembering the commitment we made to walk this path with heart.
So yes - keep showing up to class. Stretch. Breathe. Because showing up on your mat is wonderful. Truly!
But if you’re not learning more than physical postures in class or you’re not taking what you do learn off the mat - into your conversations, your relationships, your choices - then all you’re really doing is stretching your body (which is fine, but let’s call it what it is).
Because to truly practice yoga… you must actually practice yoga.