Tara Sullivan

and make sure you have a spiritual practice.

I saw a meme posted by a yoga school the other day that said something like, “Yoga is not a trend but a daily practice.” When I first started practicing yoga, it was still weird, mysterious, before social media, in the early days of the internet. Yoga school schedules were on paper and telephone answering machines.

Madonna and other stars were around at the yoga school. Famous people are everywhere in NYC, but still.

There was no glossy yoga magazine for sale at the airport. No “yoga pants”. When I heard a mantra, I had to try and remember it: no google, no Shazam. If there was music, it was on cassette, or CD. I went to the bookstore to find the books my teachers read in class.

Yoga was always cool, but then it became mainstream.

It’s a hard for me to imagine what it’s like to first encounter yoga in times of TikTok. I can see how people might think yoga is about wearing lycra pants and a bra, being flexible, skinny, and smiling all the time (spoiler alert: none of this is required).

The practices haven’t changed, human beings haven’t changed, the nature of reality hasn’t changed. Having a spiritual practice is still an essential ingredient to having ease and stability in this difficult and unstable world.

In the history of the world, there have never been more leisure activities on offer. The fitness app provides endless variety: tango, swimming, pole dancing, everything. Lunch hour means choosing between circuit pump and yoga. People do everything and remain eternal beginners. If variety is the spice of life, then mastery must be flavorless.

I did Pilates one-on-one for years with some of the top teachers in NYC (before the lawsuit, if that means anything to you). I loved it. We used all the equipment: cadillac, trapeze, chair. However, Pilates didn’t offer perspective on my life, guidance in times of loss, depth in times of plenty. Pilates never helped me deal with difficult people, or make difficult choices.

I started running in my twenties, and ran the Berlin Marathon a few years ago. I learned a lot about myself from running, but it hasn’t helped me find meaning, purpose, solace, or peace. My yoga practice, which is never separate from philosophy, is my teacher, my church, where I find clarity, when I get glimpses of the answer key.

In times of fitness apps, of endless choices, it’s important to use discernment. Commit to something that requires it, that will fill you with gratitude when your effort is rewarded with transformation and awe.

Trends and fashions will come and go, but you can always rely on discipline, self-study, and devotion.