27/04/2026
I bought this book in an ashram in Rishikesh in 2019, for the great sum of 65 rupees (£0.50). It was written, published and printed by Swami Krishananda in the Himalayas. Although it is missing the first 25 pages because of a printing error, its pink cover has been calling me back over and over again across the years when I have been needing the most.
In the slides, I have attached a few quotes I am currently reading in classes, reminding students at the start and end of practice, that asana isn’t yoga.
Asana is a step but if you truly want to practice yoga, it can’t be the only step. Attending a one-hour class every now and then is already a great step towards self-awareness but yoga isn’t something you acquire in yoga studios. It is not something that you can buy. It is not a service, not a workout, not something that you are good or bad at.
Yes, I have trained and practiced a lot and I hold classes, but I don’t own yoga. I can’t actually give you yoga!
All I can do, is share my experience, support you, encourage you and hold a space that is hopefully less distracting than the outside word for you to quieten your body and your mind. In class we use breath, mind and body techniques to deepen this connection with all the layers of our being.
Yoga comes after all this, within you, and only you can get to it. It is not performative, not shiny, not expensive. As much as the ego would love that, it does not require you to balance on your head or to wear brand new grippy socks.
“Yogás citta vrtti nirodhah”, “yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind” (Yoga Sutra 1.2, Patañjali).
In a world full of noise, ego and opinions, let us be reminded of this again and again 🩷
