This week in class, our theme has been Aparigraha, a concept from yoga philosophy that translates as non-attachment and the practice of letting go.
It’s a theme that feels especially alive for me at the moment, because this week I left my job of 15 years. That decision means releasing not only the role itself but everything that’s been woven into it over time: financial security, pension, healthcare benefits, and – perhaps the hardest part — the wonderful relationships built with colleagues over so many years. I’m stepping away from a strong, familiar network to work on my own.
Letting go is rarely simple, even when it’s right. But yoga philosophy teaches us that clinging — to people, to things, to outcomes — can create mental turbulence that steals our peace.
Understanding Aparigraha
Yoga ultimately aims to still the mind. When the mind is quiet, we can be fully present with our body and breath — something we often talk about in class. Yet when we attach ourselves to expectations (“I’ll be happy when…”), we risk creating a cycle of disappointment, jealousy, or frustration:
- What if I don’t get that job?
- What if someone else gets the car I wanted?
- What if life doesn’t unfold the way I’d planned?
But we must always remember that everything external is transient. Jobs shift. Situations change. People come and go. When we rely on these unstable things to bring us happiness, we end up constantly chasing peace instead of cultivating the ability to feel it from within.
Aparigraha invites us to soften our grip. To trust that we already have the capacity for contentment, stability, and strength — regardless of what changes around us. We practive cultivating it from the inside.
Aparigraha in practice: Letting go of the “perfect pose”
One of the simplest and most powerful ways to practice Aparigraha on the mat, is by letting go of how we think a pose should look. We’re conditioned to believe there is one “correct” version of a posture. But your body is different every day. Injuries, energy levels, hormones, sleep, stress… all of these influence what your practice needs.
Maybe you usually do full plank, but today your shoulders are tired or you’re managing an injury. Instead of forcing yourself to do full plank, because “that’s what I always do” or “everyone else is doing it,” Aparigraha invites you to choose the version that supports you in this moment — no guilt, no judgement. When we cling to the aesthetics of a pose, the mind fills with criticism and comparison. When we let go of this mindset, it is just so freeing! I wish I had understood this many years ago when forcing myself into certain shapes despite the pain and issues this caused my knees.
So, this week in the cabin, we put Aparigraha into action by exploring variations — versions of postures that prioritise function and feeling over appearance.
Some of the variations we explored
It’s important to try not to think of these as “easier” versions — just different expressions that support balance, alignment, strength, and accessibility.
Tree Pose (Vrksasana) with toes on the floor
Instead of lifting the foot high on the inner leg, we kept the toes of one foot on the mat like a little kickstand. This is especially useful if balance feels unsteady (I currently have two students managing sudden-onset vertigo — proof that you never know what life might throw your way and when you might find this variation supportive). This variation allows you to work on stability and alignment without gripping or wobbling.
Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III) with back toes lightly touching the ground
Warrior III can feel like trying to balance on a tightrope with a jet engine behind you! By keeping the back toes on the floor, you’re still strenghtening the standing leg, lengthening through the spine and engaging the back body, but without fighting for balance.
It allows the mind to settle into the shape, rather than panicking about toppling forward.
Downward Dog with knees bent
There is no rule that says your legs must be straight in Downward Dog. In fact, keeping the knees bent can be far more supportive for lengthening the spine and creating space in the shoulders. A bent-knee Downward Dog is strong, stable, and anatomically kind — especially if hamstrings are tight or the lower back feels compressed.
Forward Folds with soft knees & long spine
We also released the idea that we need to strive to try and get our nose to touch our knees (it doesn’t need to, ever). By bending the knees generously, we allowed the hamstrings to lengthen safely and kept the spine long and supported. Forward folds are about spaciousness, not contortion.
Triangle Pose (Trikonasana) with hand higher up the leg
Instead of reaching desperately for the floor, we slid the hand higher up the shin or thigh and focused on stacking the top shoulder back as if leaning against an imaginary wall. This brings the pose back to its purpose: opening the chest, strengthening the legs, and lengthening the side body – not collapsing into a compromised position just to reach the floor.
The bigger picture
When we let go of the idea that deeper is better, or that a pose only counts in its ‘often-referred-to-as’ fullest expression, we create space for something more meaningful:
- awareness
- breath
- curiosity
- compassion
- presence
Aparigraha reminds us that progress isn’t measured by how a posture looks from the outside but by how it feels from within.
It also teaches us resilience. When we release the need for things to be a certain way — whether in yoga or in life — we build the ability to adapt, to trust, and to more easily approach change.
As I move through my own transition, this practice of letting go — of identity, routine, certainty — feels like both the challenge and the medicine. And it makes me happy every time I see one of you choose the variation that supports you instead of the one that looks a certain way.
See you soon in the cabin!
Michelle x
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