What Constitutes Progress in Our Yoga Practice?

Such a great question, isn’t it?

It’s also one of the first questions we ask when we begin teacher training. How do we know we are making progress in our yoga practice?

Modern yoga is tricky, especially in the yoga studio world where there seems to be a perceived progression: Gentle Hatha, then Hatha, then Hatha/Vinyasa, then Vinyasa 1, then Vinyasa 2, etc.  

Are we more advanced in our yoga practice if we consistently take Vinyasa 2?

In a word. No. In two words. Hell, no.

I can’t speak for all yoga studio communities, but I can speak for ours at MindBodySoul Yoga + Wellness: The class names and differentiations are for your ease and clarification as to the basic structure and presentation of a class.  

You know Gentle Hatha classes will move slower and emphasize stretch more than strength. 

Hatha will have equal parts stretch and strength with slower transitions in between postures.

Hatha/Vinyasa will have slow transitions, but begin to introduce moving from posture to posture on the breath.

Vinyasa 1: more to most of the class will be moving from posture to posture on the breath.

Vinyasa 2 : same, but a little faster, with some more challenging poses and physical experiences. We also assume you know basic postures here because the flow can be quick.

I want to stress that Hatha, Vinyasa 1, 2, and 3 are not levels of attainment. Yoga is not martial arts.

One is not a Vinyasa 1 student (blue belt) or a Vinyasa 3 student (black belt). 

The vinyasa numbers are intended to give you guidance on the speed at which you may flow, the postures you may be asked to experience, and the knowledge, in your body, that you are expected to have experienced already. 

So, then, how do we know we’ve made progress?

Yoga is a practice of calming the mind. 

End. Of. Story. 

Practicing asanas, we use the body as a doorway of deeper experience inward. How do we feel in this posture? What does my breath do? What does my mind do? Can I settle here? Be here, right here, right now?

When we flow, we are using a movement/breath system to iron out (if you will) tensions in the body that may form obstacles to a steady and quiet mind. The flow is intended to be the warm-up for meditation. For stillness. For going inward.

And since that is the goal, we can do that in ANY level class. We can do that wherever we are. Whatever we are doing. We can be in a handstand in the middle of the room or Tadasana. The posture doesn't matter. Mastery is in how you place your mind, not how you place your body.

Ultimately, this is the journey of a yogi. Mastery of the mind. Excavating that which is unseen in the mind, so that it does not affect our lives negatively. Unearthing old angers, so we do not respond in anger. Unearthing old experiences of sorrow, so we may love more deeply. Unearthing old experiences of pain and betrayal, so we may trust more completely.

This is what I mean when I say inner work. This is what we are doing here, folks. The body is just one of the many layers of our being being addressed in our yoga practice.

So I invite you, in whatever class you take:

Notice when your mind is agitated.

Notice when you are in the present moment. 

Notice when you are judging. 

 Notice when you let judgements fall away. 

 Notice all of it. Do not respond. This is progress in yoga.