SAMASTHITHI

There are so many ways to observe samasthithi. Today, I took yoga straps and strapped them to a tree. Keeping the back flat and the stomach engaged, I worked my pulling muscles with out losing the feeling of a constellated center line. @davidgarriguesyoga would like those terms, i think. They sound like him.
My coach would call these rows. I might call it samasthithi research. Regardless, these moments of turning inward and reflecting soberly on the here and now are valuable. It is certainly not the method... but it also very much is.

Catch this workshop!

Okay, let’s talk about Ashtanga yoga, or rather, what it’s become in the hands of the market.

I’ve often spoken about systems and how they behave, and what I see happening with Ashtanga, particularly on platforms like Instagram, is a classic example of a distortion of purpose within a system.

We have a practice, Ashtanga, that by its very nature demands discipline, patience, and internal focus – tools for transformation and self-realization. It’s designed to help us understand ourselves and regulate our nervous systems, to feel better from the inside out.

Yet, what we often see is a system, driven by commercial imperatives, that reduces it to a “visual commodity.” Suddenly, it’s about aesthetics, hyperflexible bodies, and “bite-sized” content.

This isn’t the whole picture, is it? It’s a feedback loop where what’s easily digestible and visually appealing gets amplified, even if it sacrifices the true essence.

Even I, in my own work, might find myself in a situation where I’m participating in the very system I critique, currently running an ad and using my six-pack (fleeting though she may be) as a vehicle for presenting information to get people into yoga and meditation.

That’s the challenge of working within complex systems – there’s often a degree of complicity just by being a part of them. But the critical point is to always remember the true goal of the system.

Ashtanga, despite these external pressures and misrepresentations, persists. Why? Because, as with any truly effective system, it works. It provides real self-love and deep understanding for those willing to commit and dig deeper. It’s a powerful reminder that while external pressures can distort and simplify, the underlying purpose and effectiveness of a well-designed system can still endure for those who seek its authentic benefits.

Come practice.

WTF is an Ashtanga Influencer?

The internet is creating celebrities instead of role models— and it sounds more Bravo Housewife than it does richard alpert at harvard.

Being visible doesn’t mean being knowledgable.

Having followers doesn’t mean having integrity.
And floating in handstand doesn’t make you a leader.

Influence isn’t wisdom.
Popularity isn’t pedagogy.
Pretty doesn’t equal prepared.

Teaching Ashtanga—really teaching it—takes time, mentorship, oversight, and a commitment to serve.

Not just perform.

And definitely not to posture. How much “peer support” is really a marketing/influence tactic?

We’ve already seen what happens when charisma outpaces ethics. Look around. They physical embodiments of this read are taking money out if the hands of local economies and putting it in their own. Its Ashtanga Amyway, and if youre buying, your supplying. Ask any one of my chilean or argentinian ashtanga friends. Theyll tell you how global white teachers fuck their marketplace.

Lets hear it for one more sexual impropriety!

Ashtanga Yoga is a wisdom tradition.
A system of tools to help you show up better, live better, lead better.

We don’t need more influencers.
We need better leaders.

Support your local Ashtanga shala.

#ashtangayoga #yogaintegrity #ethicsinleadership #notjustasana #ashtangawisdom #yogaisasystem #truthmatters