So what is “real” yoga anyway?

While not frequent, some of my fellow certified LYT yoga teachers have been told by a few students, other teachers and studio owners that LYT is not “real” yoga. Though I have been told that the method of asana I teach is “different” than what students might have previously taken, after they experience the strength, integration and education that comes from a LYT class many are eager to continue practicing this way. It’s been in the back of my head though that at some point someone might tell me what I’m doing is not “real”…. so it made me wonder, what the heck is “real” yoga anyway? What needs to be included in order for yoga practice to be “real”?

The word “yoga” in Sanskrit can be interpreted as “union” or “connection”. Yoga is believed to have been started about 5000 years ago by the Vedic yogis, who passed stories down orally through hymn or song about how to be more connected with nature. Yoga during the Vedic stage was based on the caste system, and only available to the highest caste. The Vedic yoga also included rituals and animal sacrifice. The pre-classical stage covers about 2000 years of history focused on connecting with our inner and outer nature. Around the 2nd century, the classical period began. At this time, Patanjali’s Yoga-Sutras were introduced - “sutra” literally meaning “thread”. The 195 sutras are “wisdom bombs” woven together providing guidance on how to practice “yoga”, where yoga is essentially life itself. Although in western “yoga” there is a high focus on the physical aspects of the practice, Patanjali describes 8 Limbs of Yoga to guide us to living a meaningful life. Asana (physical postures) along with the following branches make up the 8 Limbs of Yoga: Yamas (moral disciplines in relationship with others), Niyamas (duties or disciplines in relation to oneself), Pranayama (breath), Pratyahara (sensory withdrawal), Dharana (focused concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (bliss/enlightenment).

The post-classical stage, basically where we are now, yoga was brought to the west in the 1800s with teachers coming from India to the UK and US. In the early 20th century, yoga poses were still only for men, and mostly young men - a requirement that has now obviously been dropped almost everywhere. With any modern asana class, I think we have to consider that poses designed for young men may not be a good fit biomechanically for all people wanting to practice. Our lifestyles and the way we move, or don’t move in our daily lives (think cubicle work versus farm work) is different than the 2nd century. Yoga has continually changed over the last 5000 years to better fit with the people of each era; it evolves just like we have.

Even though uncomfortable at times, I seek out change in my life - I actually want to evolve and my yoga practice supports my growth. What we need and seek during different stages of life and day-to-day also changes. There was a time when yoga was an escape from work for me, where I just wanted to get away from a very mentally intense, detail-oriented job. I wanted to flow and dance my way through vinyasa style classes, with the lights low and my eyes closed, something less rigid than the spreadsheets I looked at all day. This was my medicine for many years and I loved it. In times of high stress and life-changing events, I’ve needed more restorative yoga to give my nervous system the space and support it needs to regulate.

What I am most drawn to in my current my yoga practice is purpose, since that is what I am needing in my life. I want to move well, live with purpose, and connect to the deep core of myself both on and off the mat. I have the mental space and curiosity to explore the biomechanics and nuances of asana poses. The LYT method brings me what I am most seeking now. I love how subtly smart my teacher Lara Heimann’s method is. We address nervous system regulation by balancing the tension in the muscles and tissues bringing them back to their neutral positions, we build our core from the inside out, we challenge the brain to get out of habitual patterns and we breathe in a way that helps support complex movement and regulation. This method helps me be adaptable in movement and in life. I feel strong and integrated. There are still days of higher stress or fatigue that a very simple sequence or a few gentle fascia focused movements is what I need. Some LYT classes can be an amazing challenge for the brain. Sequences that go from the front to the back of the mat, high to low, with twisting and balancing require a lot of focus and integration. Brains grow through challenge, but years ago when I was already highly challenged in my job and my life circumstances, I wasn’t looking for additional challenge. High concentration on movement during practice is capable of freeing you from the noise in your head, but if you are already at your maximum capacity more challenge could be too much. If you’re feeling scattered or feel a lack of control in your life, a yoga class with a well-known set sequence might allow your nervous system to feel safe enough to return to it’s parasympathetic state because your practice is something for which you know what’s coming next.

My 72 year old mum has been practicing the LYT method with me for the last 6 months and is loving it! At her current stage of life, she wants to maintain her ability to move freely, without pain and continue to do the things she loves like playing golf, curling, hiking, paddling and gardening. She is thrilled to be able to reach deep into the back of her cupboards and bend down early in the morning to clean the kitty litter, things that 6 months ago felt very stiff to do. She wants to keep her brain young and welcomes new sequences and movements that challenge her cognitive function. She’s well past the days of a highly stressful management job in IT, and has the freedom in her schedule to rest. Yoga practice connects her to her independence and joy. A highly restorative yoga class isn’t really what she would prioritize in her current stage of life, but that doesn’t mean her current practice, or a class focused on rest isn’t “real”. Let it be clear that I am not saying that there is a hierarchy of styles or linear progression over stages of life. What I’m suggesting is that there are so many styles and formats of yoga to practice and the best one for you is one in which you feel good and safe to consistently do.

When fellow LYT teachers share that they received comments that the classes they offer are not “real” yoga, especially from other teachers and studio owners, it strikes me as very odd feedback from people who are supposed to be leaders in the yoga community. Patanjali recognized 5 “Kleshas” which are obstacles to happiness: ignorance, ego, extreme aversion (to people or things), hatred, and fear of death/change. It seems the act of judging another’s yoga practice hits all or almost all of these barriers to happiness. I don’t think there is yoga that is right or wrong - it’s all real and it evolves - just like us. We need different things at different stages and days. A practice doesn’t need to incorporate every limb of yoga at the same time or look exactly like what was done in the past (or in your past). Yoga can take place in a chair, in a studio, in nature, with other people, alone, with music or in silence, with essential oils or scent-free, in a darkened room or with the sunlight beaming on you, you can say namaste and chant Om, or not. What it comes down to is: what do you need right now? what do you want to get from your practice? And is it bringing you to a higher state of consciousness? At it’s most fundamental level, yoga is union and connection - so if your yoga is bringing you that, it’s real.