It’s Not Politics, It’s The Practice

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“It is a sin to commit injustice, but it is a greater sin to tolerate injustice.”
~The Bhagavad Gita

As a yoga practitioner for over thirty years and a current studio owner, I do not separate my yoga practice from what is happening in the country or the world around me. 

Yoga is an ethical practice, anchored in the principle of ahimsa, non-violence. Non-violence does not mean neutrality; standing by while witnessing harm and injustice is itself a form of violence. Silence supports the status quo, while action supports change.

However, it seems that somewhere along the way, modern yoga culture became more concerned with personal comfort, choosing ‘peace’ over conflict, rather than using its ethical framework to foster conscious engagement with the world.

Studio classes are taught with an abundance of soft, soothing language, inviting students to focus on personal agency and to make space for self-care. And while there is value in those things, something essential to the practice of yoga gets forgotten and set aside: the practice of karma yoga.

Karma yoga is not neutral. Karma yoga is not passive. It does not teach detachment from the world around us; it is the yoga of action. It does not ask us to contemplate ‘how do I feel’, it asks ‘what am I called to do.’ And right now, there is much to do. 

We’ve all heard phrases: love and light, good vibes only, no judgment. The list goes on. The yoga community is known for and loves spiritual taglines. The problem is that these are often used to avoid conflict and confrontation, spouted out instead of doing the hard work of speaking up when we witness harm or injustice. But these are not spiritual truths; they’re forms of bypassing. They allow us to remain comfortable while others lack that luxury.

But yoga was never meant to be comfortable in that way. And historically, there has always been an intersection of yoga and politics. And I would argue that it’s not so much ‘politics’ as it is the practice itself. The Bhagavad Gita, one of yoga’s central texts, does not take place in a peaceful yoga studio. It unfolds on a battlefield, where the warrior Arjuna is called not to withdraw, but to act with clarity, courage, and devotion.

Karma yoga asks us to do the same.
To speak when it would be easier to stay quiet.
To act when it would be easier to turn inward.
To risk discomfort in the service of something bigger than ourselves.

Yoga studio owners and teachers often remain silent, justifying their silence as professionalism. Citing fear of losing clients, avoidance of controversy, or bringing ‘politics’ into yoga as reasons to evade being inconvenienced, and to remain comfortable. But beneath “I don’t do politics” lies the uncomfortable truth: privilege and the ability to opt out while others cannot.

And here’s the thing, yoga does not ask us to avoid reality; it asks us to step into it. The teachings of yoga challenge us to confront ignorance both within ourselves and in the world around us.

As a white female yoga teacher and studio owner, I encourage my peers to meet the moment – step off the sidelines and step into this responsibility. Our yoga spaces are not separate from society. We hold influence, and what is said – and left unsaid – matters. If you remain silent in the face of harm and injustice, what will that say about your yoga practice and teachings? A community valuing neutrality over truth risks losing the very essence of what yoga is meant to be. A practice prioritizing personal peace over collective well-being detaches us from our ethical responsibility. A practice that chooses not to respond to injustice is incomplete. If we truly believe yoga is a path toward unity, then that must include all beings, not just those that share our similarities and provide comfort.

Karma yoga teaches that the practice is not only about inward reflection but also about outward action. It means aligning what we believe with what we do. 

The question isn’t whether yoga is political or if politics should be kept out of yoga, but whether you are willing to fully live the practice.
Yoga practice does not end when you roll up your mat; it’s where it begins.

Om, The Poses You’ll Do! – NEW Video Version of Lyn’s Book!

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View and purchase the book HERE!

NEW VIDEO: How The Grinch Found Yoga by Lyn Gerfin

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If The Grinch can do it, you can too!

Who Are We

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We hold these truths to be self-evident
As long as you’re a white man
Otherwise, you’re irrelevant

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
Is it for all, or only the manliest?

Cages and camps for people of color
Young girls are forced to become mothers
Love who you want, unless you’re gay
Progress is banned, and now we’ll all pay

Make America great again
Only for the straight white man 

Do we move forward, or do we go back
Will we the people stand up, thwart this attack
Will the courts save us, or will they crack
Will we the people fight, take our country back

A republic built on an idea of who we could become
Will we do better? Are we destined to be a was?
How do we define a country that’s great?
How ‘bout one not afraid to admit its mistakes

Will we whitewash history, or choose to learn
The power is in knowledge; otherwise, we burn
And, a country not woken is a nation broken:
You can’t grow hate and expect to be great

Who are we for, the powerless or the powerful?
Are we united for one or united for all?
Will we recover? Will freedom be lost?
Is this who we are, and at what cost?
A revolution reborn? Or democracy tossed?
This is who we are, until we’re not

End Game

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She stepped out of the game
She never wanted to play
She cut all her losses
And just like that, she walked away

She stopped walking the tightrope
With no safety net for a fall
She climbed down the ladder
She stepped away from it all

She stopped showing her hand 
She laid down her cards 
Stepped away from the table 
There was nothing left to draw

And so, she walked away
From it all
From wandering eyes to blind to see her
From hands that had no idea how to hold her
She stopped climbing the hill
She stopped pushing the boulder 
She never glanced back
Not even over her shoulder 

She stepped out of the game
That’s when she was free 
She let go of it all
And could once again breathe 

I Would Have

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You could have loved me like a novel
Instead you lost me like a poem
I should have left you wondering
Instead I let you in my home

I should have got the joke
Instead you played me like a fool
Inhaling all your smoke
And then you’re breaking every rule

I should have seen the ghost
Waiting patiently for me
To give into the hope
Just to ignore me callously

I should have kept my distance
Mr. I’ll Love You Anytime
Just to kill us with the silence
Of your cowardly goodbye

A not-so-perfect fit
No end-of-the-world kiss
Just the swing of a swindler
With a well-planned out miss
 
I should have left you all alone
The smallest man I’ve ever known
I would have loved you like a novel
Instead I’ll forget you like a poem

Living Your Yoga Means Voting It Too

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 “The yogi who perceives the essential oneness everywhere naturally feels the pleasure or pain of others as his or her own.”
~The Bhagavad Gita, (Swami Satchidananda 6.32)

At its core, yoga is the practice of mindfulness, compassion, and awareness of how one’s actions affect others. It encourages us to seek inner peace and develop qualities that help us find harmony and connection with others. 

When most people say they are ‘living their yoga,’ they are often referring to the Yamas. The Yamas are the ethical precepts in yoga philosophy that guide us towards living harmoniously.

Donald Trump embodies none of these qualities.

The first Yama, Ahimsa, means nonviolence or non-harming. The practice of Ahimsa requires us to be non-harmful to ourselves and others with our thoughts, words, and actions.

Donald Trump’s fascist rhetoric and use of name-calling is divisive and fosters a toxic environment. He verbally attacks individuals and groups and encourages violence. He has made racist, sexist, misogynistic, anti-semitic, and xenophobic remarks consistently.

Donald Trump has been found liable for sexual abuse.

The second Yama, Satya, means truthfulness. Satya asks us to be honest in our thoughts, words, and actions without exacting harm.

Donald Trump lies. Consistently. And over and over again. One of the most significant and most apparent is his election lie. He continues to repeat the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. This is the rhetoric that incited the violence at the Capitol on January 6th.

He lied during the COVID-19 pandemic, downplaying the severity and promoting unproven treatments. This led to public confusion and hesitancy for some to follow the recommended guidelines for masks and vaccines, causing unnecessary loss of life and prolonging the pandemic.
His normalization of lying has created a culture of misinformation and disinformation. The public’s ability to discern fact from fiction will have long-lasting effects on our society.

The third Yama, Asteya, means non-stealing. Asteya asks us not to take what is not ours or more than we need.

Donald Trump has a long history of shady business practices.
He’s a felon.
He tried to steal the people’s will by overturning the 2020 election results.
He stole a woman’s right to bodily autonomy when Roe v. Wade was overturned.

The sometimes overlooked aspect of living one’s yoga is the yoga of action – Karma yoga. Karma yoga is the path of selfless service, meaning acting without expecting any reward.
We take these actions for the world’s greater good and welfare without regard to how we personally can benefit. This requires us to put aside our own personal needs and instead focus on the needs of the collective, enhancing the welfare of society as a whole, including those we disagree with. 

Donald Trump prioritizes his personal gain over the welfare of others.

Yoga, by definition, means ‘union’. It is not the practice of dividing. It is the practice of uniting.
Donald Trump’s rhetoric, lies, and divisive behavior have contributed to the polarization within our society and contribute to the ‘us vs. them’ mentality. He lacks compassion. The word empathy does not exist in his vocabulary.

To truly live yoga, one must also choose leaders aligned with the principles of yoga philosophy—leaders who will work to create a just world for all, including those they disagree with.

Donald Trump believes that those who disagree with him are ‘the enemy within.’ Trump is dangerous. A second term with him with no guardrails means the end of our country as we know it.

One cannot claim to ‘live their yoga’ and then vote for Donald Trump.

No candidate or person is ever perfect. However, Kamala Harris’s policies will lift people and help create a more even playing field. Economists agree.
Kamala Harris pledges to give those who disagree with her a seat at the table.

Kamala Harris will protect and expand rights, not take them away.
Kamala Harris will take us forward, not backward.
Kamala Harris will include all, not just some.
Kamala Harris brings hope, not hate.
Kamala Harris will unite, not divide. 

Living your yoga means voting your yoga.

Are You Doing Yoga?

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You can practice yoga without ever doing one yoga pose.
You can do many yoga poses without ever practicing yoga.

There are different yoga paths. However, no matter the path choice, at its root, the practice of yoga is intended to liberate you from conditioned misconceptions about yourself and lead you to the realization that you are more than the thoughts you identify yourself with.

Yoga does not ask you to be someone else, nor is it intended to shame or judge. It’s not even about ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ The practice encourages dedication to self-study, a pathway to self-knowledge. 

Every time you step on your mat, you have a choice: work out or work in.

You can choose to use the pose purely for physical purposes, where it’s about fitness goals or the level of the pose, or you can choose to use the pose as a tool for transformation—physical and mental. 

And the difference comes down to simply changing your mindset.

You are shifting from a goal-oriented, end-result focus, where your mind narrative is really about what you can and cannot do in your pose and where you are in your physical practice, to a process focus: how you get there, taking your time, embracing each step, noticing the nuances and more subtle sensations, not needing to get anywhere else, and being fully present. This option is where the actual practice of yoga comes in: quieting the narrative in your mind, getting away from your inner ego chatter so you can hear your inner teacher’s voice. 

So, a simple idea is not necessarily easy to achieve. Here are a few things to ask yourself to discern whether your practice is encouraging you to ‘work in.’

Ask yourself:
Does my practice build the physical component of yoga from the foundations of breath and gaze?

These two techniques are essential in creating a practice that encourages presence and a process-focused experience.

Ask yourself:
Does my practice include a philosophical component that encourages self-study?

The mind transformation from yoga results in the ability to discern which habits or patterns to let go of. And develop new ones that inspire you to lead a more intentional and thoughtful life. Applying the Yamas and Niyamas, which are yoga’s ethical principles, will help.

Ask yourself:
Do I find myself moving through my day with less reaction and impulsiveness? Do I own my actions and live with more intention and thoughtfulness?

Yoga is a gradual process, not a quick fix. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras states that the practice must be cultivated for a long time, without interruption, and with care. When your mat practice includes the two points prior, you will begin to notice the transformation off your mat.

So in short, ask yourself what would happen if you spent less time trying to master a pose and more time trying to master your thoughts?

Everyone has a personal reason to begin a yoga practice—physical, mental, or spiritual benefits. However, it is essential to honor the traditions and philosophy of this ancient practice by never losing sight of its original intentions. It is possible to gain the physical benefits of practicing asana while staying connected to yoga’s original intention. 

If you can get a stronger, more flexible body along with a stronger, more flexible mind, why not?

Green Flag Yoga Teachers

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Not all yoga classes are created equal. Because yoga is meant to be a transformative process, teaching yoga requires a different skill set than teaching only a fitness class.

Of course, teaching a great yoga class requires specific technical knowledge, but a well-trained teacher will go above and beyond in an effort to create a space that is welcoming, safe, and inclusive.

Here are a few things to consider when searching for a yoga teacher:

A green flag yoga teacher will teach more than a Western fitness class.
They have an innate ability to tie together the philosophical component of yoga with the physical practice. They offer mental practices relevant to daily life, giving the tools to apply them off the mat. 

When the class description says it is appropriate for all levels, a green flag yoga teacher teaches an all-level class.
The teacher will not expect students to know poses and their names. 
They will use precise cues and language to help students transition into the pose and build the alignment of the pose safely from the ground up while offering different options. 

A green flag yoga teacher avoids language that creates a hierarchy of poses, like ‘advanced vs. beginner.’ They will use terms like ‘option’ or ‘variation’ instead of ‘modify’ or ‘modification.’ This makes it about choice rather than physical ability. 
A green flag teacher will normalize using different options and remind students of their personal agency. 

A green flag yoga teacher offers an experience, a process-focused practice, rather than a goal-oriented one based on aesthetics or reaching a particular ‘level’ of a pose.
They will encourage exploration in a pose – replacing how it looks with how it feels. 

A green flag teacher avoids blanket statements that label how a pose or practice should feel and encourages investigation without a right or wrong answer.
They understand that everyone comes from a different background and life experience, and therefore, everyone will not feel the same or have the same response to a pose or class. 

A green flag yoga teacher is constantly evolving. 
They understand that study and learning never end. They give space for their teaching to grow, change, and evolve. They are not afraid to tell a student: I don’t know. 
 ________________________________________

Lyn holds both in-person and online yoga teacher training. If you are interested in becoming a ‘green flag’ yoga teacher, you can check out her programs here:
200-Hour In-Person Yoga Teacher Training
Online Program Platform

What Is Power Yoga Anyway?

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Many misconceptions about power yoga are floating around. The name itself can lead one to misinterpret the type of practice it is. However, the ‘power’ in Power Yoga actually refers to one’s inner power. Bryan Kest, who first coined the phrase’ power yoga’ in the 90s, explained that he named it because of the empowering way you feel leaving class.*
 
The purpose of the practice is to ’empower’ you to tap into that which already exists within. To encourage you to develop qualities and habits that will help you to navigate life with balance, grace, discipline, and compassion.

Is it a challenging physical practice as well? Absolutely. However, not in the way it is often described. A power yoga class will ’empower’ you to meet yourself right where you are when you step onto your mat. It will encourage you to honor your needs, resist comparison or competition, embrace the now, and let go of assumptions and expectations. 
 
Despite what your mind’s narrative might tell you, doing all the poses and everything offered in class is not mandatory.  Bryan Kest often describes the poses and movements in class as a buffet. The teacher will suggest poses and options; you decide what to take, how much, and what to decline.
 
But before we get into what power yoga ‘is,’ let’s clarify a few things that it ‘is not’:
 
Power Yoga is fast. 
Flow does not mean fast. Nor does it mean to fling or to flail. We flow slowly and hold poses to build strength. What would the purpose be to take a break from the ‘rat race,’ only to turn your practice into a ‘mat race’? Along with slowing down and supporting a safer, more mindful practice, you begin to develop a profound sense of body awareness when you take the time to hold a pose for more than a few breaths and sit with it. When you notice some of the more subtle nuances and sensations you are feeling, you can establish a balance of what we call ‘effort and ease’ in your pose. Not working too hard, but not working too easy. You determine the ‘just right’ for you. 

A power yoga teacher will hold poses long enough to allow you to explore and be curious. A power yoga teacher will also ask you to slow down transitions (such as getting in and out of a pose) and appreciate the process of getting there. A power yoga teacher will encourage you to slow your flow.

Power Yoga is for experienced practitioners only and includes many ‘advanced’ poses. 
This is simply a myth. Not only are you encouraged to rest whenever you need to, but a power yoga class sequence is born from the idea that it should enable you to progress through movements and poses as safely and simply as possible. A typical class comprises the more basic or foundational yoga poses. With variations and options always offered up. Will you still be challenged? Of course! But challenged in a way that does not require you to be from the circus or perform any scary ass poses. The poses will challenge you in a way that is safe and healthy. And YOU decide precisely what you want that challenge to be. Guess what? Sometimes, the biggest challenge you will face is getting away from your ego and taking a break in a child’s pose.
 
A power yoga teacher will teach each pose from the ground up, giving you the building blocks to develop a stable, strong physical practice. A power yoga teacher will offer options and encourage you to find the pose you need based on how it feels, not how it looks. They will also remind you to take a resting pose as often as needed.

Power Yoga is purely an exercise. 
Power Yoga is not only a workout; it is, more importantly, a ‘work-in.’ The practice goes way beyond the practice on the mat—it uses the physical practice as a vehicle for inner transformation. The overall theme is that everything you do on your mat should help you with everything you do off your mat, or why do it?
Your mat practice is an opportunity to observe your habits and reactions as you challenge yourself physically.
Often, your habits in life show up in how you practice. Are they working? Do you need to make a shift? Are you reinforcing habits on your mat that are not beneficial off your mat?
Because when it comes down to it, how you do anything is how you do everything.
You will learn to move calmly and disciplined from one uncomfortable situation to the next. It teaches you to be calm when you are uncomfortable and to take the practice off the mat with you. 
And it might change your perspective on what it means to be healthy. Looking good is fine. But if your body looks good but can barely move and bend, is that healthy? A power yoga practice will transform your definition of wellness and what it means to have a fit body. Hence, you will become healthier.

A power yoga teacher will remind you that getting fit does not mean beating the sh*t out of your body. Healthy means moderation. Fit means balanced.
A power yoga teacher will include a philosophical component that will be relatable and practical for daily life.

A power you class will include the following five key foundational elements:

Breath:
The use of breath is the foundation for a power yoga practice. It is what differentiates a yoga practice from a typical exercise class. 

It is not a random breath. It is a specific breathing technique called ujjayi breathing.
When you apply ujjayi breath during your practice, you will slow down, your mind will become quiet, and a sense of calm awareness will arise. Random thoughts are less likely to occur, and from that, you are, in a sense, giving yourself a ‘mental break.’ We don’t play music in a power yoga class for a reason. Playing music distracts you from doing the hard work of learning to quiet the ongoing narrative that plays in your mind.

In turn, breath awareness can lead to greater insight into the subtler aspects of your physical practice. With a deeper understanding of your bodily responses to the poses, you can challenge yourself healthily. You will notice that your inhales naturally encourage creating lift, space, and length, while your exhales promote release and letting go.

When you focus on the breath, your mindset will become more process-focused and less goal-oriented, and your physical practice will fall into place naturally. When you take this practice off the mat, you will feel calmer as you move through your day.

A power yoga class will establish ujjayi breathing at the beginning of class.
 
Foundation:
As the saying goes, you can only build a great building with a strong foundation. Or, your pose will only be as strong as the foundation you build.
 
The breath is the foundation for a power yoga practice. But then, as we add the physical component, the focus is grounding—creating a stable connection with whatever touches the ground. Then, build the pose from that connection. Along with grounding, a solid connection to your core, called ‘uddiyana bandha’ (or upward lifting lock), will develop a feeling of root and rise. When the whole body is incorporated, you will feel light and more ease in your practice. 
You will build a solid foundation to support your pose, enabling you to grow. 

Grounding and building a solid foundation in yoga practice helps you stay grounded in your daily life. It brings you back to your roots, connects you to who you are, and keeps you connected to your values and purpose. 

A power yoga class will include the practice of uddiyana bandha, or core engagement.

Focus:
Wandering eyes means a wandering mind. Where your mind wanders, your energy will follow.
 
Drishti is the yogic practice of a steady, focused gaze, which develops greater concentration. It helps cultivate insight, inner wisdom, and heightened self-awareness. 
 
In a power yoga class, you will be encouraged to fix your gaze on a specific point. Fixing your gaze will steady your mind and help eliminate distractions. It will bring your attention inward and create a greater mind-body connection. 
Applying specific gaze points helps cultivate more body awareness. You become more in tune with the signals your breath and body give you, developing a safer practice. You begin to notice the more subtle sensations within your body, which will encourage more process-focused exploration rather than goal-oriented. 
 
When you fix your eyes on specific points on your mat or body, you resist the urge to look around and mimic what other students are doing. The reality is that you can’t find what you need on someone else’s mat. When your eyes don’t wander, your mind doesn’t wander. When you are fully present, you can hear the different options your teacher is offering and decide based on what you need.

A power yoga class will establish the practice of Drishti at the start and include reminders throughout about where to set your gaze.

Heat:
Tapas, or to ‘burn’ through obstacles and challenges, is one of the core principles of yoga and is used as a tool for transformation on your mat in a power yoga class.

However, it does not mean setting the thermostat to 100+ degrees. The physical practice between connecting movements on breath and challenging yourself by holding poses will create heat on its own. You can practice power yoga without added external heat.
Typically, the external heat is set to no more than 90 degrees. (At LKPY, it is usually around 80-85 degrees.) Anything higher will generally make it nearly impossible to move your body and exert the proper energy to reap the physical benefits of the practice. 
 
The added heat is about something other than the ability to go deeper into a pose (which we do not recommend!) Instead, it pushes you slightly out of your comfort zone. 
Rather than avoiding situations that are out of your norm or uncomfortable, you learn to stay with the discomfort – getting comfortable in the uncomfortable! A skill that transfers with you off your mat when life starts to ‘heat up,’ yoga teaches you how to stay grounded and strong. This is where growth and transformation meet!
Remember, it is for you to decide what a healthy uncomfortable is.

A power yoga class will take you on a journey from one uncomfortable situation (position) to another. A power yoga class will teach you that challenges are to be expected, and you can choose how to face those challenges. Power yoga will teach you that growth comes from when things are hard, not when they are easy.

Flow:
When all four of the above are in place, the flow appears. Flow means a complete absence of resistance. Your practice becomes process-focused rather than outcome-focused. Your practice comes into balance.
You leave behind old habits and remove obstacles that you created. You find an honest practice, what you need rather than what you want. 
It creates a feeling of harmony between mind and body. When you take this off your mat, you surrender to the outcome, leave all force and resistance behind, and align with your truth and reality. Your life flows and comes into balance as well.

A power yoga class will teach you to stay on your path without attachment to the outcome. 
A power yoga class will teach you that the process is the prize. 


You will find your practice in your breath.
It’s not what you can or cannot do, it’s how you respond to it all.
If you can breathe, you can practice power yoga.

Lyn has been teaching power yoga since the late 90s. She has had the honor of learning from Bryan Kest and Baron Baptiste and the privilege of attending in-person classes with K. Pattabhi Jois. All Lyn Kehoe Power Yoga studio classes are in the power yoga style as originally designed. 

*It is important to note that Baron Baptiste almost simultaneously began using the name to describe his classes. Beryl Bender Birch also wrote a book called Power Yoga in 1995. However, her book was about traditional Ashtanga yoga practice. She once said she named the book to get people’s attention. While Kest’s and Baptiste’s style indeed have derived from the foundational elements of Ashtanga, neither are synonymous with the practice as originated by K. Pattabhi Jois.