The Fundamentals of Practice

When we talk about practice, in most cases there’s an implication that we’re doing it in preparation for something.

If someone is practicing a sport, there’s usually a game or some kind of competition they’re preparing for.

If they’re practicing an instrument, maybe they have a concert or a gig to play.

If someone is practicing a foreign language, it’s probably so they can communicate with people who speak that language.

And if someone is practicing medicine or law, it’s usually so that they can take care of their patients or clients.

With virtually everything we practice, it’s almost always done in preparation for some other event or situation.

So what about with yoga? We call it a practice, but what are we practicing for? To be able to do a great downward dog? To stand on our hands? Maybe. But what’s the point of that? As nice as it feels to be in good health and have a strong, flexible body, those things alone do not make a person happy or successful. In fact, they’re not even necessary for that.

At the risk of sounding trite, I invite you to consider that yoga is practice for life itself. On a basic level, it invites us to slow down and pay attention to what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. This tends to have the dual effect of helping us both to calm our minds and make us more aware of our habits and tendencies, which in turn helps to make us more adaptable.

This is the key to yoga’s magic. As humans, we have evolved in many ways to adapt to all kinds of circumstances. But adaptation requires effort, and as much as we’re capable of changing—i.e., learning and growing—we are also capable of resisting change for the simple reason that it’s often hard.

Whether it be learning new skills for a job, learning to be a better communicator or parent, learning to get along with people who don’t share our values, learning to live with loss, or any number of other things we may have to learn how to do in the course of our lives, it all requires effort, and sometimes the work can seem daunting—so much so that we might feel like giving up.

If we don’t adapt, though—if we don’t choose to learn and grow—in many cases we end up suffering in one way or another.

Fortunately, we have yoga, which itself is not easy. As amazing as a good practice can feel, the deep work that leads to meaningful and lasting change is often very difficult. But if we’re fortunate, we find good teachers and supportive communities who support us on our path and help to make the journey more enjoyable. And if we practice skillfully and consistently, yoga tends to prepare us for the inevitable ups and downs we all go through, and helps us to be better navigators of whatever challenges we might face.

Recently I filmed a new program for Inner Dimension called “The Fundamentals of Practice”. As much as it offers guidance to help you realize more of your physical potential, it puts just as much emphasis on the inner work required for intentional adaptation. My hope is that the practices in this program will offer you a perspective and a set of tools that will leave you feeling not only accomplished and inspired, but also well-equipped to continue exploring new horizons for yourself both on and off your mat.

Happy practicing, everyone!

Make sure to check out Brent’s new yoga program, The Fundamentals of Practice now streaming exclusively on Inner Dimension!