When I am alone in the studio at night, with the radio on loud and the lights down low, I do my yoga just for me. There is no plan for my next movement, I am not concerned about my form or my timing, and I am not counting breaths. Sometimes I don’t practice “both sides” of each pose or “neutralize” each pose with a contrasting shape; I just move how my body feels like moving. I am not thinking about the names of the asanas or whether I am “doing it right” and there are no mirrors for me to look in. Sometimes I chant or sing, drop to all fours or Balasana to rest in the middle of a flow, leave my mat to take up the space by running or walking, or shake my limbs out. I let go and take direction from my body, moving in the moment with no regard for what came before (the no longer) or what I will do next (the not yet). This is just yoga for pleasure, moving for joy, Vibhuti.
If you Google the term “vibhuti” you will learn that it is the name of sacred ashes that are pressed onto the forehead, typically in three horizontal lines, in honor of Shiva. These can be ashes of cremated remains, incense, or from the burning of sacred or ceremonial materials. They are the product of the transformational power of fire. But the term vibhuti also represents the transformation of self when performing work; in this case, the practice of yoga. While you can and should celebrate the byproducts of yoga (weight loss, strength, mobility, appearance, etc), these byproducts alone are not enough to sustain true happiness. Deep inner joy is found only in the doing. Practicing yoga with the desire to achieve some goal may not actually give you what you want, because it brings you into this constant cycle of having to achieve something with your practice rather than just taking pleasure in the work itself.
The Bhagavad Gita (a Hindu sacred text) explains this concept of finding joy in the work:
“Those who are wise let every action be free from the desires of material gain or pleasure; let all desire for results be burned in the fire of divine knowledge and devote work to the work itself.”
~ chapter 4, verse 19
यस्य सर्वे समारम्भा: कामसङ्कल्पवर्जिता: |
ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहु: पण्डितं बुधा: || 19||
Practicing yoga is the work; moving the body in time with the breath, holding your shape or melting into the mat, twisting the spine, reaching with your crown and grounding the soles of your feet is where the joy comes from. Lasting joy, true joy, does not come from dropping a couple of pounds or toning your abs; these byproducts are wonderful and can be appreciated, but they are not the true benefits, which reveal themselves only within the practice. Ask yourself - what made you start a yoga practice and why you have stayed with it? If you are like me, you tried it because you were curious and kept with it because it felt good. Or maybe you had a very specific goal in mind when first joining a class, but now your practice has evolved past that byproduct and has moved on to vibhuti; joy in the work.
Next time you do yoga, drop the expectations and see what your body wants to do. Even when you are in class, my verbal cues are not meant to be obeyed with strict military obedience! Use the class sequence and my cues as suggestions only. If you are in an asana that feels joyful, stay there. What would be the worst thing to happen if you didn’t transition at the same time as everybody else? You catch up when you feel like it, after you have soaked up all of the pleasure that you can get out of a shape! Inversely, if a shape is not joyful and your body is yearning for something else, by all means, don’t block your experience in order to follow directions!
With all of the pressures we find in the media to look a certain way, achieve a certain thing, or reach a certain goal, the act of doing something simply for the joy of doing it has been lost. Did you hike that mountain because you love to hike or because of the photos you would have for your Instagram? Perhaps both, but examine where the majority of your pleasurable feelings come from; the climbing itself, the procurement of another peak reached, or the likes, comments, and shares on your social media? Are you seeking joy or achievement? Examine the roots of your “why.”
The same goes for your yoga practice. Are you doing yoga to lose weight only? Perhaps there is another benefit that has yet to reveal itself to you. Perhaps you can access joy in the doing. Awaken your senses while you practice, feel the air push against you when you raise your arms, feel the stretch of the long muscles in the back as you fold over, grab the mat with your toes, fill your lungs with air, and rotate your hips deeply, taking pleasure in the way your strong legs hold you up, or your long graceful arms reach for the sky. Turn the music up loud, sing, groan, breathe deeply, move with rhythm, shake or be still for long periods of time. Do things with your body that are unattractive or silly or sensual. Let yourself fall into your yoga practice. Imagine a sprinkle of ashes on your third eye as a reminder to avoid egotistical and worldly longings and find joy in the work. Vibhuti.
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