How I Teach to Focus on Reality in Yoga

When you step into a yoga class, you might expect a focus on perfect poses or ideal wellness. However, I believe the essence of yoga isn’t about flawless postures or achieving a specific body shape — it’s about connecting with yourself and others in a meaningful way. It’s about investigating the nature of reality.

Here are a few key aspects of my approach:

1. Pay Attention

Curiosity about your yoga practice is key. Yoga teachers can’t fix your problems or hand over wisdom. Teachers can guide you to discover truths for yourself. In my classes, I invite you to observe your thoughts, physical sensations, and emotions. With this approach, you “come and see for yourself” (what Buddhists call ehipassiko).

In my experience, true progress happens when you practice with honesty and openness. You don’t have to believe anything. I invite you to pay attention.

2. Encourage Self-Compassion

Yoga is a personal journey, not a competition. It’s a practice of self-study and self-discovery (svadhyaya). Your experience is unique.

I have encountered some deeply unsettling thoughts during periods of intense practice. When facing troubling thoughts, difficult emotions, or physical limitations during practice, approach them with kindness. Self-compassion is crucial, as we often struggle with what we discover about ourselves.

3. Adapt to Your Needs

Allow flexibility and adaptation in your practice. Be attuned to the needs of your body and be willing to modify your plans based on feedback.

Over the summer, I broke a toe while trying to avoid mosquitoes on our deck. As a result, I had to avoid any postures that required my second toe, which was a lot of postures!

Adapt to the needs of the moment, whether related to a physical injury, a stressful period, excitement, or something else. Remember, setbacks and moments of “failure” can teach us valuable lessons. Sometimes we recognize “stagnation,” and we can learn from that too. It might seem that experiencing reality as “success” — “I nailed that pose,” “my mind was scattered when I arrived, but now it’s calm,” etc. — is the goal, but that’s not how I teach. Rather, each of these experiences provides an opportunity to pay attention and then continue along without making a judgement.

4. Focus on Breath

When your mind wanders, reconnect with your breath. Mindful breathing enhances awareness and brings you back to the present.

Breath work is not just for when things go wrong. Swami Kripalu said, “Practicing yoga postures with deep sensitivity to the breath is ten times more beneficial than postures done without breath awareness” (Faulds, Kripalu Yoga).

More intense breath work (pranayama) can alter your reality. For instance, practices such as bhastrika (“bellows breath”) or kapalabhati (“skull-shining breath”), both described in the 15th-century Hatha Yoga Pradipika, can loosen congestion, release tension, tone muscles, improve cognitive functions, and much more.

5. Notice Community and Connection

Remember that your mat is part of a larger space shared with others. Engaging with fellow practitioners can help you stay grounded and connected, rather than focusing solely on your personal experience.

During class, I frequently remind people not only that they are in physical contact with their mats but that those mats are on a floor, in a room, with other people, in a building, that sits on land, and is part of a community.

Sometimes recalling our connections helps us detach from our self-centered tendencies. I don’t discourage people from coming to my class to “bliss out” and “float above life.” But when I’m leading the class, I encourage being fully present in each moment, which means recognizing the reality of other people in the room rather than hoping to ignore them.

The Nature of Reality

In yoga, reality often isn’t glamorous or sexy. It’s practical, not philosophical. When I make mistakes in front of the class, it can be downright humorous. Sometimes I’m tempted to judge myself in those situations, so this focus on the nature of reality is as much for myself as for the people in my classes.

I work to create supportive environments where we can be curious together and celebrate our unique journeys. When people arrive at my class expecting me to emphasize perfect poses or mobility, they often express relief when I tell them that the yoga I teach is an invitation to be genuine and present. This practice is simple, often challenging, and sometimes profound.