Have you ever noticed how your mind can get stuck on a loop? Maybe it’s a replay of an awkward conversation, a spike of self-doubt, or that feeling of being too busy to even breathe? These are what we call thought loops, and they can be incredibly draining. Many people think yoga is just about touching your toes, but at its heart, it is a practice of yoga for changing perspective. In Week 1 of our new series, we are diving into our first piece of Soul Logic: the Great Pivot.
The Philosophy: Pratipaksha Bhavana
The Yoga Sutras offer us a brilliant tool called Pratipaksha Bhavana (Sutra II.33). It translates to “cultivating the opposite.”
The logic is simple but radical: You are not a victim of your thoughts. You don’t have to fight them or judge yourself for having them (which usually just makes them louder). Instead, you simply pivot (cue the one with Ross Gellar and the sofa ). The moment you catch a thought that doesn’t serve you, you consciously choose a different direction.
- If you’re stuck in “I can’t,” you pivot to “I will start.”
- If you’re stuck in “This is too much,” you pivot to “One breath at a time.”
On the Mat
This week, our physical practice focuses on Twists and Transitions. Physically, twists are a way to wring out tension and move the spine in a new direction. Mentally, they are a rehearsal for the U-turn.
Every time we move into a Revolved Lunge or a Revolved Half Moon, we are training the brain. We are teaching ourselves that even when our body is facing one way, we have the power to look another. We are practicing the physical pivot so that the mental pivot becomes second nature.
Off the Mat: Your Daily Practice
How do we take this Soul Logic into the real world? This week, I invite you to use the Compass Technique.
Imagine your mind is like a compass. Throughout your day, at work, in traffic, or at home – notice when the needle gets stuck hovering toward fear, lack, frustration or anything that feels like a soul no.
- Acknowledge it
- Tap the glass by taking a conscious breath in
- Pivot: Then mentally choose a True North thought—a small, neutral truth that feels right in your gut or leads in the direction of where you want to go and what qualities yoiu want to embody more of.
We can also use this when making decisions – take a moment, check in with your compass and redirect to a more aligned place – find that soul yes and takwe time to learn how it feels in your body, these little pdaily check ins can help us to trust our bodies and ourselves to make the right decisions for us. This isn’t just a studio practice; it’s a lifestyle. By using the Compass Technique, you are practicing yoga for changing perspective every time you hit traffic or face a difficult decision.
The Soul Logic Takeaway
“The practice is not in being perfect. The practice is in the turning. It is the slow, brave pivot away from your ‘No’ and the quiet, steady leaning into your ‘Yes’.”
Join us
Join us on the mat this week as we start building your toolkit for living. Let’s learn to navigate ourselves together.
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