03/13/2026
Tapas, the third niyama, is often referred to as inner fire. No matter the temperature of our surroundings, when we practice vinyasa, we can feel that inner fire burn and grow hotter with each pose. As we observe tapas grow within us over time, we begin to notice transformation taking place, which can lead us to desire more heat. It is crucial to our practice and growth that we not lose sight of maintaining Sthira Sukha—the balance of effort and ease—or our fire may extinguish.
As with anything else we love, it’s easy to burn out when all we are doing is going, doing, and moving. When we turn the temperature down on the effort, in our practice or anything else, and mix it with ease, it becomes sustainable. When we keep showing up, the practice becomes an anchor and a reliable tool, allowing sustainability to ripple out to other parts of our lives.
As you show up on your mat this week, whether you grow each pose to its biggest form, are in child’s pose for the entire practice, or somewhere in between, we invite you to remind yourself of this one thing: Ultimately, what matters most is your consistent commitment to being present with and for yourself. The rest is practice.
