July 2026 · Off the Mat · by Tiffany Bergin, C-IAYT, CIYT
We wait all winter for these months, and when they arrive, we instinctively want to step outside, savor the weather, the water, the garden, and the scents by lingering a little longer and making the most of each day.
Patañjali begins the Yoga Sutras with a single word: atha—now. Not simply a moment in time, but a readiness to meet what is here. Every practice begins by arriving as we are.
Summer reminds us that life is constantly changing, and our practice teaches us how to meet those changes. In asana, we are continuously observing, adjusting, and responding to subtle changes. In pranayama, no two breaths are exactly the same. Each inhale and exhale offers a chance to be in the now, observing, responding, and refining with each round.
Life asks the same of us. We are constantly adapting to what is in front of us rather than what we wish were there.
When our nervous system is dysregulated, however, that becomes much more difficult. We may find ourselves pulled into the past or anticipating the future, making it difficult to meet what is happening right now.
Asana and pranayama don't ask us to eliminate discomfort or control every experience. They teach us how to stay with what is here, to observe without immediately reacting, and to make the next appropriate adjustment.
Perhaps that is one of yoga's greatest gifts—not perfect balance, but the capacity to keep responding with awareness one moment at a time.
Companion piece: Sirsasana & Vrksasana — On Balance. All issues: Wisdom Library archive.
Loading…
If this page does not appear, please email [email protected] and I will send you what you need directly.