15/08/2026
Can we see what is actually here before the mind tells us what it means? 👁️
One of the themes we’ve been exploring with Luke Jordan during the first week at Summer School is the connection between Yoga and Nonviolent Communication.
Or perhaps, how they are not really separate at all.
Both invite us to begin with observation.
In yoga, Patanjali speaks of the vṛttis, the movements and fluctuations of the mind. We experience something, and almost immediately the mind responds: remembering, comparing, imagining, judging, creating a story.
In NVC, we practice distinguishing observation from evaluation:
What actually happened, before I add what I think or feel it means?
And isn’t this exactly what we practice on the mat?
Can I observe my breath without immediately trying to change it?
Can I feel tension without calling it bad or having a story about it?
Can I notice that an asana feels different today without turning it into I’m getting worse?
Pratyakṣa: direct perception.
Again and again, the practice invites us back to what is actually here.
Before judgement.
Before interpretation.
Before the story. ✨
Maybe this is one of the most beautiful things we can take from our practice into life: creating a little more space between what is and what we make it mean.
And very soon we get to continue this exploration together: Luke Jordan Yoga will be joining us in Ghent from September 13–18 for six days of Mysore practice, chanting, exploration and inquiry. 🤍
🔝Registration is still open: link in bio. Come practice and explore with us. ✨
