What even is Yoga?
If you ask most people what yoga is, they’ll probably say something about stretching, fancy poses, or trying to look serene while balancing on one foot. And sure, the physical practice is part of it—but if that’s all yoga was, it would’ve died out thousands of years ago. Yoga is way bigger than just moving your body.
At its core, yoga is about connection—to yourself, to others, and to something bigger than your daily to-do list. It’s a toolbox for navigating life, helping you move through the world with more awareness, kindness, and (let’s be honest) a little less stress.
In Jivamukti Yoga, we take this a step further with five core tenets—the golden rules that make yoga about more than just sweating on a mat. These principles help us move beyond the physical postures and integrate yoga into everyday life.
The Five Tenets of Jivamukti Yoga
1. Ahimsa (Don’t Be an Asshole—To Anyone, Including Yourself)
Ahimsa means non-harming, but it’s not just about avoiding physical violence. It’s about being mindful in everything—how you treat others, what you eat, how you talk to yourself. Jivamukti strongly encourages a vegan lifestyle because if we say we care about peace, that peace should include all beings. But it’s also about self-compassion—because let’s be real, we can be our own worst critics. Yoga helps us practice kindness—in our movements, our words, and even our grocery shopping.
2. Bhakti (Handing Over the Ego—Because You’re Not the Center of the Universe)
Bhakti is devotion, but don’t worry—it doesn’t mean you have to start praying or chanting on a mountaintop (unless that’s your thing). It’s about humility and recognizing that we’re part of something bigger. In a Jivamukti class, we often express bhakti through chanting, because sound has power. You might feel weird singing Sanskrit at first, but then something shifts—you stop caring about how you sound, and you just feel it. That’s bhakti in action.
3. Dhyana (Meditation—AKA, Sitting With Your Own Mind and Surviving It) Meditation gets hyped up as some mystical experience where you float off into bliss, but let’s be real—most of the time, it’s just you, sitting there, watching your brain throw out the weirdest thoughts. But here’s the thing: meditation helps you see those thoughts for what they are—just thoughts, not facts. Over time, the mind gets a little quieter, and suddenly, you’re less reactive, more present, and maybe even a bit less stressed out by life’s nonsense.
4. Nada (Listen Up—The World is Talking to You)
Nada is all about sound—music, chanting, deep listening. In Jivamukti, we use music to help shift our mindset (IYKYK the playlists are UNREAL), but nada is also about listening beyond the noise—to yourself, to nature, to the quiet moments where truth actually lands. It’s about hearing more than just what’s being said—because real listening changes everything.
5. Shastra (Study—Because Yoga Has Been Around for Thousands of Years for a Reason)
Yoga isn’t just about what feels good—it’s rooted in ancient wisdom. The Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras, the Upanishads—these aren’t just dusty old texts; they’re blueprints for living with more clarity and purpose. When we dive into them, we start to see that yoga has always been about way more than handstands. It’s about how we show up in the world.
So… What is Yoga, Really?
It’s how you liv, not just how you move. It’s the way you show up for yourself, how you treat others, how you handle stress when things get tough. It’s the reminder that you’re not alone, you’re not separate, and you’re not just your thoughts or emotions.
And yeah, yoga might start on the mat—but the real magic happens off it. So, next time you roll out your mat, ask yourself: How can I take this practice into my life? How can I make yoga something I live, not just something I do?
That’s where the real transformation happens. And that’s the kind of yoga that actually changes things. Its a