In my early days of practicing yoga, I found myself curious about what seemed to be a very common yoga theme â letting go. Iâd hear it at the studio, Iâd see it on social media, and in blog posts, but I didnât quite understand what it meant. When in a yoga pose, let go seemed to be a cue to relax where possible. In terms of yogic philosophy, I took letting go to mean loosening my grip on the things I couldnât control. In a sense, both are true, but as I dove into the nitty gritty of yoga, I discovered more.
Letting go is a simple phrase, but the instruction isnât. Even for the most seasoned yoga practitioners, relinquishing control, detaching from sense distractions, and demonstrating faith is a constant, daily practice that can ebb and flow between graceful diligence and downright frustration. The following paragraphs offer another perspective of letting go, plus suggestions for teaching this topic in a yoga class.
Detachment isnât enough â we must seek out something higher
Like letting go, the concept of detachment or dispassion â called vairÄgya in Sanskrit â suggests a release of something. But what are we letting go of and what fills the gap left behind? VairÄgya â the necessary counterpart to abhyÄsa, or practice â is more than severing our attachments to the shiny objects of our sense world; it also entails repositioning our energy towards what really matters â our souls. And the texts speak to this. Translators of the Bhagavad GÄŤtÄ agree that detaching from material desires is not enough; we must also engage in something greater than ourselves 1,2. Yoga SĹŤtra commentators mirror this understanding of vairÄgya, explaining that detachment means pursuing the soul 3,4. go is a choice to focus on the deeper essence of who we are, and this perspective is a powerful lesson to weave through a dharma talk, or the spiritual message of a yoga class.
Iâve met this moment again and again, of realizing that a job, a relationship, or routine distracted me from Spirit, and from knowing myself. At those times, Iâve had to practice quieting my mind in order to refocus inwards. Itâs really impactful to share this type of experiential knowledge with our students, backed by yogic teachings, because relating these concepts to modern life makes them more understandable and transformative.
It all comes back to calming our fluctuating thoughts
LettingSo how does this all translate to an Äsana practice? Yogic postures are tools for shifting our awareness from the actions of our bodies to the energetic levels of our souls. The reason why the postures should be steady (sthira) and comfortable (sukha) is so we can maintain them for meditation5. It all comes back to quieting our minds. In order to turn our attention within, we need to bring our minds under control so we can untangle ourselves from material lures.
To help students experience Äsana as a mental discipline, pair movement with breathwork (prÄášÄyÄma). Focusing on our breathing gives our minds something to do, rather than fixate on our fleeting thoughts. Regulating the pace of an Äsana sequence is also important. If we tire out our bodies a bit with steady to fast-paced vinyÄsa before holding stationary poses, our minds have a better chance of slowing down. This might look something like multiple Sun Salutation (SĹŤrya Namaskar) variations to start, followed by 10 breaths in Warrior II (VÄŤrabhadrÄsana II), several counts in Chair Pose (UtkaášÄsana), Fierce Angle Pose (UtkaášÄ KoášÄsana), and Garland.
Pose (MÄlÄsana), and so on and so forth
This approach combines physical endurance with mental focus â the two dynamic components of Äsana.
When it comes to letting go, presenting this deeper meaning opens doors for our students to connect, in even small ways, to something bigger than themselves. Letting go of the things we canât control is part of it, as is releasing tension and giving up expectations of ourselves for our practice. But, in truth, letting go is more than a single moment; itâs a lifelong process of connecting to whatâs most important, of devoting our hearts to the eternal, divine truth knitting us all together.
- PrabhupÄda, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, translator. Bhagavad GÄŤtÄ, As It Is. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1983, p. 288.
- Goswami, H.D. A Comprehensive Guide to Bhagavad GÄŤtÄ, with Literal Translation. Krishna West, Inc. 2015, p. 95.
- Iyengar, B.K.S., translator. Light on the Yoga SĹŤtras of PataĂąjali. Thorsons, 2002, p 62.
- Bryant, Edwin F., translator. The Yoga SĹŤtras of PataĂąjali. North Point Press, 2009, p. 53.
- Bryant, Edwin F., translator. The Yoga SĹŤtras of PataĂąjali. North Point Press, 2009, p. 284.