29/07/2025
The first thing people often ask me when they hear I’m in the world of yoga is, “Which type of yoga do you practice?”
This question tells us something important about what yoga has become.
These days, yoga has become really popular, appearing in all kinds of styles and forms. But within this widespread popularity, it’s essential to remember something basic: yoga is meant to adapt to the person, not the other way around. Every body is different, every mind is different, and so naturally, every practice should be different, too.
There’s a beautiful story by Chuang Tzu, a Daoist master, that illustrates this perfectly.
A royal host heard that an important bird is going to land near the city. And of course, the kingdom cannot afford to herself not to create some kind of ceremony. And so he arranged a grand reception.
He offered the bird wine, brought musicians to play emotional music, and even provided lavish feasts.
But the bird struggled to understand these displays. It didn’t need music or wine, it needed open skies and freedom. It became confused and distressed and died within days.
The message is clear: what’s suitable for one being isn’t necessarily suitable for another. Yoga, similarly, isn’t meant to be one fixed practice that everyone performs identically. It must adapt to the individual.
Yet, if you observe how yoga is often practiced today, you’ll see this holistic perspective gets lost.
You walk into a yoga class and you’re immediately surrounded by flexible bodies moving gracefully into poses that seem effortless. The teacher begins giving instructions, and naturally, you start moving. But soon something happens: you start comparing yourself to others. This isn’t a quiet inner voice, it’s a strong energy that pushes you to match or outshine the people around you. Often, you might do certain poses just to impress others, to show off. That drive becomes powerful.
Yet your body, your entire complex system, might not actually need those poses. It’s crucial to understand that some postures can be harmful. Not just physically by straining your neck or knees, but physiologically, affecting internal systems in ways we often overlook. Standing on your head, for example, isn’t just risky for your neck. It can disrupt blood flow and hormones.
You don’t need to stand on your head, even if the yogis call this posture the king of the asanas. You don’t have to do it. You don’t have to do something just in order to feel that you are a part of the yoga world.
Just like the seabird didn’t need celebration but serene skies, your body might need something entirely different. A simpler flow, gentle movement, or rest.
From my own experience, over many years as both a practitioner and a teacher, I’ve seen how finding the right practice transforms everything. I’ve had phases where I pushed into advanced postures, believing that would lead to progress.
But looking back, it was only when I embraced a practice truly suited to me that real peace and growth began.
When we remember that each of us is a unique, complex system with individual needs, yoga becomes far more than just physical movement or breathing techniques. It becomes a journey of deep listening. And for me, that is the true heart of yoga.
