5 things I learned in Mysore

5 weeks in Mysore, India really have taught me a lot

1. Yoga Is More Than Just Asana

I know, this one is very basic, and I’ve been saying it again and again (I even wrote a newsletter about it), but funnily enough, it’s this lesson that I was taught repeatedly in Mysore. So what is it then? What does “more than asana” even mean? As my philosophy teacher Arvind Pare put it: “Yoga is the realization that you’re not the wave; you’re the entire ocean.”

We walk through this world ever so proud of being individuals when, in reality, it’s this feeling of separateness that makes us suffer and feel so alone. It makes us compare ourselves to others and strive to be better than the rest. Yoga is about recognizing that these are all ego-driven thoughts—that, in truth, we are all one. Instead of seeing ourselves as small human beings in a vast universe, we are the whole universe inside a human body. Stop acting so small!

2. Consistency Is Key

Yes, I know—I could have pulled that one from some flowery inspirational Instagram account, but there’s a truth here we can’t deny. Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga is really hard. I still remember my very first Ashtanga-led class; I left sweaty and completely exhausted. Traditionally, we practice six times a week, and there are several reasons for this.

First of all, the practice gets easier when you do it repeatedly. The body just gets used to it, and after a year or two, even those jumps and transitions aren’t as tiring anymore. Secondly, some of the postures are really difficult. We need strength in very specific muscles, plus flexibility, to enter them. Practicing only every now and then won’t prepare the body, and we’ll only get frustrated or injure ourselves if we try something our body isn’t ready for.

And lastly (but really most importantly), the biggest obstacle in Ashtanga yoga (and in life) is not a lack of strength, flexibility, or even the opportunity to practice. It’s the mind. Whenever we do something that could steer our lives in a new direction, there’s this tiny voice inside our head saying, What if we just don’t do it? What if we watch some Instagram reels instead? Change is hard. Our dreams seem far off not because they’re unreachable but because they take real effort to keep walking toward them.

Practicing regularly in Mysore really brought me in touch with that part of me that keeps saying, I’d rather not. It’s hard to get up in the morning when your back hurts, when you still feel your muscles from the day before, or when you just didn’t get enough sleep because you watched too many episodes of Schitt’s Creek the night before. But now I recognize that voice. I hear it when I’m doing my pranayama and my mind says, Well, yeah, maybe two minutes is enough for today, or when I’m doom-scrolling and my mind says, Two hours is not nearly enough for today.

Nobody knows us as well as our own mind, which is why it can be so astonishingly convincing. But being aware of our inner saboteur—getting to know him (because obviously, he’s a man)—is the first step toward realizing that we don’t have to listen. We can want to stay in bed for just five more minutes and still get up anyway.

3. It’s Okay to Rest and Do Absolutely Nothing

Even though I celebrate what I think is one of Italy’s greatest contributions to the world—il dolce far niente, or the sweetness of doing nothing—I sometimes struggle with leaving empty space and taking time to rest. That’s when taking a pause becomes so important.

In Mysore, my days were very simple: yoga practice in the morning, breakfast, some extracurricular course after lunch, and then free time until dinner. It took me a while to slow down and really enjoy that easy rhythm of life. I still remember how, during the first week, I was busy being busy, trying to fill my days with activities. It wasn’t until I allowed for empty afternoons and long breakfasts that I started to pay attention to everything going on inside me.

4. Opportunity Arises When You Make Space for It

I’ve always been a control freak with a hefty dose of perfectionism. The only thing that really does is create stress when things don’t work out the way I want them to. And guess what? That happens all the time.

In the past, I would get really upset when things didn’t go my way, but I’ve learned to keep my cool (most of the time). The truth is, we often don’t know what’s good for us. That promotion you worked so hard for could be a dead end, and that hot guy you wanted to date could be an asshole. I’m not saying don’t make an effort or go after what you want, but there are so many factors we just can’t control. That’s when we need to lean back and trust that the universe is working in our favor.

For some time in Mysore, I was worried about what I’d do once I got back home. I worried if this whole “being a yoga teacher” thing would really work out. When I told a friend, she sent me an amazing quote on Instagram:

All is well. Everything is working out for my highest good. And out of this situation, only good will come. I am safe.

Two days later, two of the yoga workshops I had been planning got confirmed. Sometimes opportunity just needs space—be it physical or mental.

5. The Practice Works (If You Let It)

One of the things I noticed in Mysore was how much time I spent wondering if my practice was “working”—if my asanas were improving, if my breath was getting steadier, if I was becoming a better version of myself (whatever that even means). But here’s the thing: the practice doesn’t need my overanalysis. It just needs me to show up.

Some days, I felt like I was making huge progress. Other days, I felt stiff, tired, or frustrated. But whether I felt it or not, the practice was doing its thing. It was reshaping my body, my breath, and my mind in ways that weren’t always visible in the moment. The key was to trust the process, even when I couldn’t see the results immediately.

One morning, I heard Vijay say to a student who had been struggling with chakrasanafor two years, “A beautiful flower can grow out of a single seed. But only if you give it time.”That really stuck with me.

So if you ever wonder if yoga is “working” for you, don’t stress. Just keep showing up. The practice will take care of the rest.