Its that time of year again: resolution season. When you work in spiritual communities, gymnasiums, and/or wellness centers, you can't miss it.

Being aware of it doesn't mean that I've had to engage in it; I've typically been abroad, studying with my teachers during this pivotal time of transformation. I reckon what I've had come across my desk this time of year is more the "run-off"-- how it impacts those in my communities. Over the years, I've been struck by the dichotomy of response: managers and studio owners were thrilled to see rookies and wayward weekend warriors returning, while many yoga teachers themselves found that their progress in creating community was often frustratingly glutted by folks who lacked commitment, thereby "taking away from" the more committed practitioners.

Woof.

It's so easy to see both sides of it, and so easy to look down one's nose at so much associated with this malarky: conflating yoga with "getting fit", the pressure to be anti-fat, and of course all of the other dogwhistles things out there that say "you're not good enough."

I'll say it again: woof. But, it doesn't have to be this way inside of the lab of our own teachings and practices.

Come see more of my thoughts on this, and how to approach this season as both a professional and a practitioner, over at FunctionalAshtanga.com