10/17/2025
Yoga is more than movement. Its ethical framework (yamas and Niyamas) help guide our lives. Ishvara Pranidhana is to surrender to the divine.
A yoga Asana practice allows us to practice surrender in a controlled and intentional environment. Once we can learn to soften and surrender into our yoga poses, we can then integrate that skill into other aspects of our lives.
Think of Dancer, which is a physically challenging pose. There's a lot happening between the activation of the back bend, internal rotation of your hip, while also balancing on one foot. You have the choice to try to dominate the pose by imposing your will on it, or you can get into the pose and use your breath to soften into it. You might not "get as deep" into the pose using the second option. Thankfully, yoga isn't about the position your body takes in the poses. Yoga is about what is happening in your head and your heart as you practice the Asana.
Once you learn how to soften into the physical postures, you get to learn how to integrate that knowledge so you can soften into your thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
