Retro Yoga

I agree with all this.

The longer I teach, the more old school I feel. Maybe I’ll start to call my brand of yoga “retro yoga.” I’ve been looking for a catchy name.

Yesterday in our Power of YOU program, I gave a talk on reigniting passion for practice. The unglamorous work of continuing to show up.

If you’ve hung with me long enough, you’ve heard me talk about it over and over, how one of the most important skills we can master as students of yoga is to get good at beginning again, to welcoming ourselves as we are, to embracing the tapasya of practice and simply continue, even when we don’t quite feel like it or when it's inconvenient.

I’m grateful for having learned the value of all this early on. The daily, slow, and steady effort that flies in the face of the quick-fix, hungry-for-results nature of our world.

I’ll never stop advocating for it, because it’s what makes yoga work, not as a quick fix, but as a real fix.

A fix for our abstracted, disconnected lifestyle,
A fix for the uncertainty of our lives,
A fix for finding a morsel of peace amidst the daily, sometimes overwhelming injustices and tragedies in our world.

What could be MORE needed than practices that help us slow down, breathe, and simply be present to live our lives?

This is why I’m convinced that simply continuing is one of the noblest efforts we can make.
Valuing yoga as a relationship that is built up over time. Allowing the momentum that slow and ongoing practice fosters,
Being able to count on yourself to come back when you’ve drifted,

These are what allow the gifts of the practice to show up for us when we need them most.

It’s what allows yoga to become a trusted support, an ever-present companion we can turn to for comfort in a world that often feels upside-down.

What could be more needed, more honorable, more worthwhile, than nourishing that kind of connection and presence in our lives?

This is why in our Skillful Yogi membership, there are no start or end dates. I realize it isn’t might not be the most marketable way to package one’s yoga offering, but to me, it feels right.

Because the culture shift we’re making is one of returning to that old school, slow, steady, and lasting approach. The one that really works to make yoga a lifelong path of profound, expansive, and authentic self-discovery.

We’re supporting teachers from all over the world to stay true and close to the heart of their yoga. For life. If you’re called to be part of a thriving community of seasoned students and teachers dedicated to this approach, I’d love to welcome you.