What is Yoga… to you?

I was jotting down some thoughts to share with students the other day, and I started wondering... not so much what IS yoga, but what is it to YOU?

We know the main spiel: ‘yoga’ means union - of breath and movement, of body and mind.

Apparently, the word “yoga” has the highest number of definitions in the Sanskrit dictionary – although different sources cite different numbers, so I’m not gonna give you a definitive figure.

In the Yoga Sutras, you know, the most authoritative text on yoga bar none (again, other opinions are available), Patanjali states that abhyasa and vairagya (loosely translated as effort and surrender) are the two pillars of yoga.

Abhyasa is the constant discipline of showing up on and off the mat, persevering on this lifelong journey of self-discover. Vairagya is the ability of letting go of any expected outcome or result.

We want to strive for a balance of these two concepts, much like the wings of a bird flapping mid-flight (not my metaphor, Richard Rosen wrote it in an article for Yoga Journal which you can read here https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/philosophy/balancing-effort-and-surrender/)

But what does yoga mean in YOUR life?
What brings YOU to the mat, time and time again?

Is it the asana, the movement, the sweat, the physical dimension?

Is it the pranayama, the mindful breathing, the fire-igniting ujay?

Is it the meditation? The stretching? The Cirque du Soleil-like advanced poses?

Is it your community, your sangha? That sense of belonging to something bigger than you and meeting like-minded individuals?

In the end, if you ask me, no matter WHAT brings you to the mat, the important thing is that you keep showing up.