In an age of beer yoga, goat yoga, hot yoga etc, it makes me wonder if we have lost sight of what yoga truly is? Are we even practicing yoga any more?

There is one opinion or thought that today's yoga has lost sight of what a yoga practice should look like.

Referencing Hatha Yoga Pradeepika, one of the oldest surviving texts on yoga: "Yoga is not exercise. In real yoga, once you break a sweat, you are done. If you continue to practice post sweat It leads to an imbalance in Prana (life force, energy). Yoga is supposed to calm you down not stimulate you."

The main functions of Yoga is Yama (moral disciplines), Niyama (positive duties), Asana (postures), Pranyama (breathwork), Pratyahara (sense withdrawal), Dharana (focus), Dhyana (meditative) & Samadhi (enlightenment). IN THAT ORDER!!

This order has a great significance - Yama & Niyama first and only then comes Asana. Today the core focus is Asanas and less of everything else and this is why I ask myself: are we even practicing yoga anymore?

Whilst it is not my place to judge others for how they share their yoga, as that is their journey, I will always pose the question to myself. And I always find I come back to the original teachings that remind me what yoga truly is and how I can honour it every time I practice and teach.

See you on the mat,

Tracy