YogaWorks closure and Yoga Sutra 1.20

Pindasana, embryo pose.

It is with great sadness that I share the closing of YogaWorks studios. They say what makes a house a home is the people dwelling within it. Creating Infinity Yoga with my best friends (one of which eventually became my husband Matt Shechtman) was one of the greatest joys of life. I learned so much from my fellow teachers, studio managers, students, front deskers: how to love, cry, grieve, laugh, challenge, inspire, surrender, endure, and (my least favorite) be vulnerable.

There has been a lot of death in 2020. I lost a lot of myself when we left Atlanta. (However, that might have been part of the point.) Seeing so many friends and peers loose loved ones to Covid and to see studios/gyms is also incredibly sad. Seeing YogaWorks close the doors of Infinity Yoga is something that brings tears to my eyes. I thought that when we sold the business our communities would be impervious to such an economic down turn. I was wrong (and it certainly won't be the first time or the last time.)

So what now? I suppose we go through a new phase. We are in embryo, a new process of development. Sometimes our practice becomes difficult. Turn towards balance. Turn towards guidance and support. I turned to the Yoga Sutras.

Sutra 1.20 sraddhā-vīrya-smr̥ti samādhi-prajñā-pūrvaka itareṣām.

Those who have not yet freed themselves from attachment to body and mind will meet with success when they imbue their practice with five virtues.Others [those who are not born with the extraordinary abilities] too attain the highest level of samadhi, provided their practice is accompanied by conviction (or faith), inner strength (or vigor), retentive power, all-consuming focus (or stillness of the mind), and clear understanding (or intuitive wisdom). Taken together, these five virtues help us persist in our quest when obstacles such as disease, fatigue, doubt, carelessness, sloth, sensuality, misunderstanding, and frustration tempt us to quit.

Faith (śraddhā) - It is the ability to trust even when you can not see the outcome. Faith can hold us when life is uncertain or feels groundless in knowing that this will change. “It is all ok in the end, and if it isn’t ok it isn’t the end.”

Vigor (vīrya)- To strengthen your vigor is like strengthening the effort required to get out of bed and onto the mat. Unwholesome activities will drain your vigor. Practice persistence- eat well, sleep well, exercise well, relax, and do not abuse your body. Inner strength is the radiant energy of the soul; the sacred fire; indomitable will

Retentive power (smṛti) - Sometimes translated as memory. Life is short. What are you going to do with it? When we get old, all we'll be able to do is recall our memories. What will be in your vault? When the distractions and pressures of daily life are undercutting your inspiration, revisit the moments of high aspiration in your past. Recollect when and how you started your journey; recall how clear your goal was at the time you began, and think about how terrible you will feel if you drop your quest midway. Cultivate your retentive power by recollecting these inspired moments and use them to reinvigorate your practice.

All consuming focus (samādhi)- Letting the light of the soul reflect in it without distortion. Here is where our faith and our strength begin to show the fruits of our efforts. We have a moment of stillness, or a moment when instead of beating ourselves up we meet our challenge with compassion. Let your goal and the process of reaching it absorb you so one-pointedly that your mind has no room for any other thoughts. This one-pointed concentration is called meditation. And this tranquility allows the mind to experience the stream of joy that perennially flows from the center of consciousness (purusha).

Wisdom (prajñā) - Take the first four faith, vigor, retentive power, stillness of mind, practice them willingly and continuously, and then you get wisdom and the clear understanding of your place in the world.

This isn't the end.