'Lila' and the power of playfulness

There’s a delicious word in yoga philosophy: lila. It means divine play.

It’s the idea that the universe wasn’t born out of duty or struggle—but out of joy. Spontaneity. Curiosity. A reminder that things don’t have to be serious to be sacred.

This month in class, we’re letting lila guide our practice.

We’re still doing warriors, lunges, twists—but with a different mindset. Less “get it right,” more “what happens if...?” Breath becomes music. Movement becomes improvisation. We explore rather than perform.

Because sometimes yoga can get a bit... serious. We try to do it properly. We follow the sequence, aim for the alignment, focus on the outcome.

But lila says: what if you’re not performing yoga — you are yoga? Not something separate from the flow, but part of it. Not just riding the waves — you are the ocean.

That shift changes everything. A wobble becomes a wink. Falling out of a pose becomes part of the dance. It’s not a mistake — it’s motion.

You might notice it on the mat when you make up your own transition. Or when you start smiling mid-flow, not because it’s perfect, but because you feel free.

And lila doesn’t mean ignoring difficulty. Life can feel heavy, stuck, flat. But this idea invites us to stay open — even in that. To keep a little door open for curiosity. To move, even gently, even awkwardly. To notice where there might still be joy.

So this month’s invitation is simple:

Let yourself play.

Not just in class, but in life.

Try something new. Laugh at yourself mid-flow. Skip a chaturanga just because.

Roll around on the floor for no reason. Do a pose out of order. Make a shape that has no name.

Because when we stop gripping so tightly to how it “should” be, space opens up.

And in that space, joy can sneak in.