12/29/2025
What makes Yoga different from exercise?
Mindfulness, among other things. Mindfulness is defined as paying attention to the present moment without judgment. In my humble opinion/the way I am drawn to practice and teach yoga, mindfulness of sensation is at the heart of an embodied practice. Thus, as we tune in to what messages are coming in through our senses, our path is toward becoming more sentient, more feeling, more present and aware. So many folks reach for a quick fix to avoid pain, diminishing the capacity to be with what is arising and cultivate resilience. No wonder we fly off the handle when someone cuts us off in traffic. To a large degree our society has lost the ability to ride the waves that life hands us, fighting against the reality that everything can't be good and perfect all the time. But if we can instead develop resilience, receiving a little headache as an important message from our bodies rather than a cue to immediately medicate, we strengthen our ability to meet challenges with compassion and skill.
In Yoga asana practice, the invitation is to stop doing poses and instead to INHABIT the posture or the movement, so there is a nod to our species as human BEINGS, rather than human doings. Yoga offers us a precious opportunity to build the muscle of resilience, not just our quads!
