Kindness and compassion are at the very foundation of yoga. They are not simply virtues to practice, but expressions of our true nature. Yet make no mistake—an authentic yoga practice will dismantle the ego. That's how you know it's real. Yoga challenges every assumption about who we think we are and the stories we tell ourselves. It invites us to discover something far greater than our personality.

One of the ego's greatest habits is personalization. It constantly asks, Why did this happen to me? Why did they say that to me? The ego survives by taking things personally, assigning blame, and reinforcing separation. Left unchecked, it can trap us in an addictive form of victimhood where lasting joy becomes nearly impossible.

Lao Tzu reminds us, "If you blame someone else, there is no end to the blame." As long as our peace depends on someone else changing, freedom remains out of reach.

YS 2.1 तपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि क्रियायोगः॥
tapaḥ-svādhyāya-īśhvara-praṇidhānāni kriyā-yogaḥ

You must be fueled by a burning desire to continuously study the Self, which is only available in the present moment, and to devote your self wholly to this effort—these are the actions to be taken to attain Yoga.

Follow Your Bliss
- Joseph Campbell

Take From Me All That Is Not Free
The phrase is a popular chant often dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, symbolizing the removal of ego, fear, and illusions. It entered modern spiritual culture largely through the chanting and teachings of spiritual teacher and musician Bhagavan Das.

This month’s Pusht is a revisit from June 2024’s Pushti. It is very apropos given that we are in the midst of Summer heat. So come sweat. May we utilize it. Let all your physical, mental, spiritual, and energetic impurities burn up in the fire of our great desire for true joy and bliss. May we be forever transformed by the fire!

YS 1.2 योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः
Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ
When you stop identifying with your thoughts, fluctuations of mind, then there is Yoga,
identity with Self, which is samadhi, happiness, bliss and ecstasy.

॥तत् त्वम् असि
Tat Twam Asi
That Thou Art or You Are That
- from Chandogya Upanishad
The non-dual teachings of Advaita Vedanta suggest that your true nature is not the body or mind, but Brahman, the limitless consciousness that is one with all existence.

The following excerpt is from I AM THAT, Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, (always on sale in our boutique). One would be hard pressed to find a passage that is so succinct and embodies the deepest understanding of the reality of who we are and how to obtain it. I read it almost everyday.

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः । गुरुः साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥
Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Guru Devo Maheshwara
Guru Sakshat Param Brahma Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha -EXCERPT FROM GURU STOTRAM
Our creation is that Guru, the duration of our lives is that Guru, our trials, illnesses, calamities, and the
death of our body is that Guru. There is a Guru that is near by, and a Guru that is beyond the beyond.
I offer all my efforts to the Guru, the remover of darkness

I only want to see the light that shines behind your eyes.
Noel Gallagher, Aquiesce

I was going to call this month’s Pushti, “What it’s like to be a Teacher.” Because being a yoga teacher is one of the greatest joys and privileges of my life. I

वस्तुसाम्ये चित्तभेदात्तयोर्विभक्तः पन्थाः ॥ १५॥
YS 4.15 vastu sāmye citta-bhedāt-tayor vibhaktaḥ panthāḥ
Each individual person perceives the same object in a different way, according to their own state of mind and projections. Everything is empty from its own side and appears according to how you see it.

Where is the Śavāsana?
And there I was, winding down on my mat in my home. Even after practicing since 1996, I found myself rushing to get up, moving on to the next thing — even when there was no good reason to — with no consideration for Śavāsana (shah-VAH-sah-nah).

Asana is seat to the Earth. It’s where every posture begins. It’s how we discover who we are. Breath connects us. And even though, there is an immediate satisfaction to the practice, the wisdom of this connection and its implication requires patience. Patience is how we always return. Whether it’s countless times within a single class, or countless times within a lifetime. Patience is how we endure over time, and it is also what allows us to be here now.

We don’t presume to know.
Our abundance is in letting go.
Love is the only law.
Satsang is Uncommon Company.

A google inquiry, reveals there are approximately 40 calendars in active use in the world today, which begs the question which one is the most accurate? Wisdom says none of them.

This five breath exercise serves as a simple and always accessible vital reset that can be practiced anywhere you have 30 seconds, as well as profound transformational practice.

The art of living means we cultivate a simple momentum in our daily lives. A momentum of joy. Yoga reminds us where our greatest treasure is. We can feel abundant all day long when we keep it close.
Fill your day with ideas, stories, people, practices, and media that elevates. This is Syadhyaya - one’s own study of the Self - the actual practice of being a student of joy. We have a portable paradise and we will also have a portable prison. Sometimes we feel like we don’t have a choice which one we’re in. When we keep yoga close, discover that it’s all your choosing. Be a connoisseur of attention. Feed the good wolf. Keep yoga close. There’s never been a better time than now.

Not “I think god is…”, as in contemplations, proclamations. Or analyzation, debates, etc.
But literally keep your thoughts on God. If it’s a mystery keep your thoughts on the mystery.
No one is an authority on God, and you have a direct line. Having a direct line is the common understanding of every great wisdom tradition.

Don’t you want to get the most value of your efforts? Don’t you want to experience the magic of transformation from the inside out? Don’t you want to have first hand knowledge of how explosive yoga really is? Don’t you want to fly? yes, Yes, YES, YESSSSS! It’s so satisfying to learn and realize when something is truly the best. It changes everything in your life.

There is a fire inside of us. Call it source, digestion, consciousness, prana, a burning desire – the seat of transformation.

Transforming letting go from abstract to concrete, esoteric to deep understanding, and experience to wisdom.

By meditation on the effulgent internal light, which is beyond all sorrow, one becomes grounded in the luminous reality of one’s own being.

Basically, anytime we find ourselves taking something personal, it is an indication that ego consciousness is running the show. Even if someone is coming directly at you, it’s not personal.

“You begin with yourself because without loving yourself it is almost impossible to love others.” – Jack Kornfield

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Gandhi