Engage & Release
“The very heart of yoga practice is ‘abyhasa’ – steady effort in the direction you want to go.” –Sally Kempton
Abhyasa loosely translates to “engage with experience,” or to “say yes.” This idea of abyhasa is often coupled with the concept of vairagya. Joining vi meaning “without” + rāga meaning “passion, feeling, emotion, interest,” giving a general meaning of “letting go” – a release of expectation, attachment, aversion, or the emotional or mental states that create resistance.
In other words, ✨engage and release.✨
Sounds simple at first. But even taking these ideas to the 72”x24” rectangle of our mat can be a real challenge. Engaging with what is there in your practice while simultaneously letting go of expectation, judgment, attachment, and whatever else we label within ourselves as “get rid of” is a lot easier said than done. Learning them in yoga may look like:
✨ Experimenting with a challenging pose even you might I might fall.
✨ Remembering the transitions between asanas. Practicing moment by moment.
✨ Not comparing your practice to the practice of those around you
✨ Using blocks, props, or taking modifications to find ease in a pose
✨ Listening to your body and breath and try to understand what is showing up and accommodating that.
I often like to think of my mat as a mini playground to work out the kinds of things that present themselves in life. Saying “yes” to our experiences when we honestly acknowledge what they are in the present moment, and releasing what holds us back or keeps us from living what is authentic. These two ideas in tandem allow us to experience life as it presents itself, in all its diversity, to engage fully and to release all of that that keeps us held back or mired down – anything that keeps us from simply, purely, authentically living life.
🙏🏼 Namaste, K.
