Someone asked me a few weeks back, “Is there are reason why you don’t have a random destination button on your GPS?” The reason for this is probably pretty self evident: We use GPS (SAT NAV) so that we don’t get lost.

In much the same way, knowing where you are going helps with your practice. Setting an intention for your class is one way to get clear about your destination. Talking to someone about why you are doing yoga can also help clarify things for you.

I have found that our reasons for wanting to get somewhere will often end up being more important than our ultimate destination. Constant course adjustment is key to keeping your practice fresh. I often will throw an unexpected posture into a sequence (particularly surya namaskar) and warn people to “watch out for their auto-pilot”. How much of what we do starts out as a means to an end and ends up with us sleep walking.

I was out in the bush recently and someone complained that they had to keep looking at the ground because it was so uneven. They felt they were missing the surroundings, and they were. It’s necessary to focus close at hand while you are in motion, but now and again you might want to re-orient yourself our you might end up somewhere you didn’t intend (not that that is always a bad thing 😉

A parting question: What if you do manage to attain your goal? What will you do then?