When I first started practicing yoga over twenty five years ago, I was primarily drawn to it for its physical benefits. As a person born withhyper-kyphosis suffering chronic back pain, I hoped yoga would help me regain some flexibility and alleviate my discomfort. Little did I know that this practice would not only transform my body but also profoundly shift my spiritual perspective.

I still vividly remember my first class. As I struggled to hold Warrior II, with my thighs burning and arms shaking, I focused solely on surviving until the next pose. The idea that this could be a form of devotion or a spiritual practice was the furthest thing from my mind. However, as I continued to show up on my mat day after day, something began to shift.

Gradually, I noticed that the stillness I found in challenging poses started to seep into other areas of my life. The breath awareness I cultivated in class helped me remain calm in stressful situations at work. The non-judgmental attitude I practiced toward my body’s limitations enabled me to become more compassionate towards myself and others off the mat.

It wasn’t until I attended a workshop on Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion, that I began to consciously approach my asana practice as a form of moving meditation. The teacher encouraged us to set an intention at the beginning of our practice, dedicating our efforts to something greater than ourselves. At first, this felt awkward and forced, but as I continued to experiment with this approach, I discovered a depth to my practice that I had never experienced before.

Now, years later, my yoga practice has become a cornerstone of my spiritual life. Here are some ways I have learned to infuse my asana practice with devotion:

1. Intention Setting
   Before I begin my practice, I take a moment to set an intention. Sometimes this is as simple as dedicating my practice to someone I love who is going through a difficult time. Other days, I might dedicate my practice to a cause I believe in or to my own growth and healing. This simple act immediately shifts my perspective, transforming my time on the mat from a workout into something sacred.
2. Mindful Presence
   As I move through my poses, I strive to be fully present in each moment. I notice the sensation of my feet pressing into the mat in Mountain Pose, the stretch in my hamstrings in Forward Fold, and the expansion of my ribcage as I breathe deeply in Upward Facing Dog. This deep attention feels like a form of honoring—both of my own body and of the present moment.
3. Breath as Prayer
   I’ve come to see each breath as a kind of prayer or mantra. In challenging poses, I coordinate my breath with simple affirmations—inhaling “I am,” exhaling “strong,” for example. This not only helps me stay present but also infuses my practice with positive energy and intention.
4. Embracing Challenge
   Some of my most profound moments of devotion have come during challenging poses. In the trembling discomfort of a long-held Chair Pose, for instance, I’ve learned to soften and surrender, offering up my struggle as a form of spiritual practice. This doesn’t mean pushing beyond my limits, but rather approaching difficulty with an open heart.
5. Expressing Gratitude
   Throughout my practice, I try to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. I’m thankful for my body and its abilities, even (especially) when I’m working with limitations or injuries. I’m grateful for the lineage of teachers who have passed down these teachings and for the opportunity to practice. Each pose becomes an expression of this thankfulness.
6. Seeing the Divine in All
   While this concept felt foreign to me at first, I’ve grown to appreciate the idea of seeing each pose as an offering to the divine—whether I conceive of that as God, the universe, or simply the highest version of myself. In Triangle Pose, for instance, I imagine my outstretched arm reaching towards the infinite. In Forward Fold, I visualize releasing my ego and surrendering to something greater than myself.
7. Moving Beyond the Ego
   Perhaps the most challenging—and rewarding—aspect of approaching yoga as devotion has been learning to move beyond my ego. I’ve had to let go of concerns about how I look in a pose, how “advanced” my practice is, or how I compare to others in class. Instead, I focus on the internal experience and the deeper purpose of my practice.

This shift in perspective has transformed not just my yoga practice, but my entire approach to life. I find myself bringing this spirit of devotion to other activities—seeing my work as service, approaching relationships with more presence and compassion, and finding moments of gratitude and awe in everyday experiences.

Of course, not every yoga session feels like a transcendent spiritual experience. Some days, my practice feels more mundane, and that’s okay. The key has been cultivating an overall attitude of devotion, recognizing my time on the mat as an opportunity for connection and growth on all levels—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.