Words Of Wisdom

As teachers, what you say can inspire some serious self-reflection, and as students, we all love hearing something that helps us shift our perspective. Here, 10 life-changing things one yogi heard on her mat. May they be of service.

- Gina Tomaine

REACH HIGHER. IT WILL STEADY YOU.

One day in class, many of us were struggling with Vrksasana (Tree Pose) and falling out of it. A teacher said to simply reach higher. Of course, she meant to simply push a little further and harder than was immediately accessible, and it would make the rest of the pose work. She was right. Now, whenever I’m struggling with work or having a particularly bad week, I remind myself to reach higher and further than what’s immediately in front of me. And inevitably, little things start to line up.

OPEN UP YOUR PALMS IF YOU WANT ANSWERS FROM THE UNIVERSE. PUT YOUR PALMS FACE DOWN IF YOU WANT ANSWERS FROM WITHIN YOURSELF.

This is something a teacher said when I was seated in Sukhasana (Easy Pose) at the end of a class. It felt incredibly profound to be able to choose—and recognizing that there is a distinction between these two choices changed the way I approach problems. Her words made me realize that sometimes I don’t have all the answers; that I can let the universe show me and let life unravel a little.

NOTICE WHEN YOU ARE BEING SELFISH. REPLACE IT WITH GRATITUDE.