Yoga offers insights into consciousness that help us sort our present world experiences. According to this wisdom tradition, the thing we call understanding can come from direct perception, inference, or reliable testimony from others. But if we’re not illuminating these sources with discernment and equanimity, understanding can quickly slide into habit or misunderstanding.

Our work in this realm is not to not think, and certainly not to not care. Rather, it’s to shine the spotlight of attention onto the nature and origin of those thoughts, and learn how they drive our emotions and behaviors. In this way, thinking is a gateway to freedom rather than an obstacle to it.

As we’re thick into “Holiday Season,” it’s a great time to examine our conditioning, question our assumptions about and expectations of people, and practice compassionate presence for ourselves and each other. What’s been true about our priorities in the past is not necessarily true now (hello, Covid!). Using the tools of asana, meditation, and breath awareness, we can get present and real about the truth of this particular moment, which means meeting our hearts and minds as they are right now.