What's in my Control?

My very first yoga class, 19 years ago, was at a Bikram Yoga studio in Massachusetts. Thankfully, I was in one of the more accommodating Bikram classes, where I could take control of my practice and drink water when needed. This was not always the case in a Bikram class in the early 2000s.

Yoga Sutra 1.2 states, "The restraint of the mind-stuff is yoga." Therefore, if you feel bound, you are bound. If you feel liberated, you are liberated.

“Things outside neither bind nor liberate you: only your attitude toward them does that.” - Sri Swami Satchidananda

If you can control your thoughts as you wish, you are not bound by the outside world. If you can control your mind, you have controlled everything. Then there is nothing in this world to bind you.

What’s in my control? MY MIND

What’s out of my control? EVERYTHING ELSE

So, why yoga?

Yoga is a gateway to clarity of the mind, a meditative state of being, and a desire to come home to wholeness. Through this transformation, many practitioners experience true liberation. As a yoga teacher, I often check in with myself to gain insight into whether I'm seeking approval or trying to control outcomes beyond my mind. If I am, I draw back on those outside validations and tune into why I share the practice in the first place.

By slowing down, finding presence, and gathering consciousness, we refine our ability to be in the now. The teachings of yoga offer many tools that emphasize skills allowing us to see more clearly, such as Breathwork, Asana, and Meditation.

Through these tools, we begin to take agency not only in our practice but also in our lives. If we can become comfortable in our bodies, we can make the practice about more than just our bodies. We can come home to ourselves and find liberation rather than control.

“Ultimately, happiness comes down to choosing between the discomfort of becoming aware of your mental afflictions and the discomfort of being ruled by them.” - Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

- Amber Gregory