There are many references to the challenges we face in pursuing yoga. In The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (2.3), the five mental afflictions (kleśas) are described as the root of suffering: ignorance, egoism, attachment, aversion, and fear of death. Sutra 1.30 also outlines a chain of distractions that destabilize practice: disease, doubt, carelessness, laziness, sensuality, false perception, lack of progress, and slipping from previously gained ground. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika offers a...

"Control of the muscles and nerves controls the breath. Control of the breath controls consciousness. Bandhas are a means of extending control over breathing and therefore a means to extend our knowledge and control over consciousness." Moola Bandha, The Master Key Bandhas are so fundamental and important but they can become overlooked if not emphasized in practice. Each of the three energetic locks work together to keep our prana [life-force energy] concentrated within the sushumna nadi....

Yoga students often ask me how to do an asana. Rarely can I give a straight answer. Of course, we can talk about the fundamentals, bandhas, where to place the drishti, and so on. But yoga postures unfold (or I guess, fold, heh... ) in infinite different ways. Not every piece of general advice or alignment cue is right for every body. One of the most valuable things a consistent practice can teach us is somatic intelligence. This is the body’s current capacity to sense, interpret, and...