Skill in action

A term used to describe yoga is “skill in action.” It is found in the Bhagavad Gita when Krishna tells Arjuna “Yoga is skill in action.” On the surface it describes the movement and actions of the physical body, but of course that’s just the beginning. Deepening our practice leads to more gracefully navigating our lives not just in the present moment, but to also move skillfully through thoughts, emotions and attitudes that come up to try and block our dynamic energy and limit our potential.

The challenge is to not let those distractions throw us off course. Rather then reacting to whatever life throws our way, we can choose the quality of our experiences by what we bring to the moment – not what the moment brings to us. (The best immediate remedy is a few minutes of conscious breathing and meditation.)

The practice of yoga helps us connect with the heart and our deepest wisdom. It creates an inner pathway so that in any situation we encounter we can connect with our wisest self to guide us to our most skillful actions.