the power of transformation in yoga

Each time I visit Mysore, India, I am amazed at the number and diversity of students that are practicing here.  I think of how incredible it is that all of these people have committed to yoga and particularly the Ashtanga practice, considering it is Mysore, to such a degree that they return year after year.  It is not an easy thing to make your way to this place.  It takes a lot of planning, probably also saving and making very difficult decisions in order to organize your life to make this possible.  I think that is one reason Guruji, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and now Sharath require regular visits for students to be considered for teaching authorization.  It takes a great deal of dedication, commitment, even devotion to the practice.  My cousin came along with me this most recent time, it was her first visit.  Though she has been practicing yoga for many years, she is relatively new to the Ashtanga practice.  I saw her experiencing her yoga here and I saw the questions beginning to form in her mind and spirit.  "Is this my practice?  Am I going to commit to this method?  Am I an Ashtangi now?"  Regardless of the answers she will eventually come to, this is a place I myself have experienced and I have seen it in others. I am coming to believe this is a threshold that nearly everyone who begins a yoga practice comes to, maybe more than once in their lifetime.
    We all come to our yoga practice for different reasons.  Maybe we are rehabilitating an injury, aiming to relieve stress, were dragged in by an enthusiastic friend, or simply find it fun.  In the beginning we are excited, looking forward to the next class, wondering what new pose we will be discovering this time.  It is like the honeymoon stage of a relationship, where everything is an adventure and each party is displaying their very best characteristics.  The yoga can continue in this way for quite a while, a regular sojourn to spending time with yourself, moving your body and focusing inward, being in the present moment.  You are connecting to it in fun and enjoyable ways.  But like relationships, your yoga experience may eventually reach some obstacle.   Something that begins a shift and you start to feel that now this is work, its not so fun any more.  "Why am I doing this again?"  It can be a very disheartening place, to look at something that once was so exciting and now no longer brings you joy.  This is where you may feel you have a decision to make.  What is your yoga going to be for you?  Rejoice!  This is an amazing place to be.  It is no longer a ride that you are being taken on but a path you choose to walk.  This is where your yoga begins a powerful transformation from providing entertainment to providing opportunities for personal evolution.  You may decide that this is more than occasional exercise and personal time, that this is a lifestyle commitment you want to make, that this practice is something that extends beyond the mat and the hour an a half that you are on it.
    There is a belief in yogic philosophy that we are called to the practice, usually due to having practiced it before in past lives.  We are drawn to the mat in order to continue our work.  I have found that for whatever reason a person begins their yoga practice, if they practice long enough and consistently enough, it inevitably develops beyond the initial intention.  As we approach obstacles in the practice that feel like work, we may miss the fun stuff.  How do we maintain a regular practice when it is no longer fun?  Is yoga supposed to be fun?  These are very difficult questions, especially the second, but I think it is more important to redefine fun with regards to the yoga practice.  In fact I prefer to use the word joyous.  Definitely we can find joy in our yoga practice.  And more importantly we will receive from our yoga what we are willing to put into it.  Now this is powerful isn't it!  We can have a devotional experience by bringing devotion to our mat.  We can have a fun class by bringing an attitude of joy and a lighthearted approach.  Just because the yoga has become something that is transformative and about self-study it doesn't mean that we need to drown in seriousness.  What it means is that we become the directors of our yoga and begin to develop a grander view of what brings happiness and contentment on the mat.  It is no longer about trying some fancy new pose, although sometimes that is still there, but joy is found in discovering that over the course of weeks, months or years we have come to know ourselves so much more deeply and grown into better versions of that self.  When those are the types of rewards we receive, we are much more willing to do the daily work, to approach those obstacles with joy and an open heart because we know what is possible to be found on the other side.  And we are happy to give ourselves those practices that are just about having fun because we know we need that too.  Yoga is about growth and self-awareness and within that we need moments to experience the results of our efforts.  It is the work that allows us to appreciate the play, the fun practices where everything just feels really good.
    So when you find yourself in that inevitable place asking why on earth you put yourself through this day after day remember that this is an opportunity choose a new way of practicing and a discipline of transformation.  When you have found the practice that feeds you and the method that inspires you it will be an easy shift.  It is this type of commitment that has me on my third trip to Mysore, India, soaking in the energy emitted by all of the many other students who have made similar shifts in their practice.  Transformation is there.