Newsflash — you can’t live my life, wear my yoga pants, or borrow my Dharma. And thank heaven for that.
Because if you try to copy my path, you’ll miss yours. And your Dharma — that soul-encoded greatness — is the only thing that will ever sustain you.
So why do we keep chasing someone else’s version of success? The shiny wins, the safe routes, the easy applause?
Here’s what I’ve learned: ego craves quick validation. Dharma calls us into slow, steady, soul-led work.
Dharma Isn’t for Borrowing
Krishna says it in the Bhagavad Gita: better to live your own Dharma poorly than someone else’s well.
Translation: don’t waste your life copying. You’ll only end up exhausted and unfulfilled.
My Story: Letting Go of the Studio
Closing my bricks-and-mortar studio when rent doubled was painful. It felt personal. But on reflection, I can see it was life nudging me toward what I’d already instinctively built a few years earlier during Covid — an online and community-based home for practice inside the YL app.
Back then, I recognised the power of community, but I was still a fledgling. Honestly? I was scared people would reject the app in favour of the “acceptable” societal model: in-person classes only.
So my energy got fractured trying to please everybody. And the app? It never got to shine like it could.
That’s what’s changing. And it’s exciting.
Not everyone came with me, and that’s ok. Those who did? They’re showing up with exactly the right energy to fuel what’s ahead.
The Cost of Copying Someone Else’s Dharma
Maybe for you it’s a career that isn’t yours. Or teaching yoga in a way that feels hollow. Or shaping your life to fit someone else’s idea of success.
The cost? Exhaustion. Emptiness. That constant sense of being “off.”
If I’d stayed stuck chasing external validation, I’d have kept a shiny studio I couldn’t afford, teaching a version of yoga that wasn’t true. That path might have looked good on paper. But it wasn’t mine.
Fearlessness, But Not Foolishness
Living your Dharma isn’t easy. Sometimes it means closing doors, losing friends, or stepping onto paths that don’t make sense to others.
That’s why Krishna told Arjuna he had to rise, even when it meant battle.
My teacher Octavio Salvado reminds us: don’t bite off more than you can chew. You don’t bulldoze your way forward. You take steady, sustainable steps, building strength as you go.
That’s the difference between recklessness and Dharma.
Practices That Plug You Into Dharma
How do you keep choosing your path when ego wants to pull you off-course?
- Daily Sadhana — it’s why we’ve built full 40-day journeys into the app.
- Breathwork & Meditation — practices that strip away the noise.
- Writing Down Your Intentions — just like I did in 2013 when this whole thing started with a seed blog.
- Asking: “Is this for me, or for service?” — that one question will cut through ego every time.
The Truth: Dharma Is Messy, But Worth It
Here’s the truth: Dharma isn’t glamorous. Sometimes it’s closing a studio, sometimes it’s standing apart, sometimes it’s feeling a little lonely.
But it’s yours. And that makes it worth everything.
So don’t waste your life living someone else’s Dharma. Stumble down your own path. Live messy. Live true. And if you need a place to practice staying the course — we’ve built it for you.
Ready to Walk Your Own Path?
👉 Join us as a member inside the [YL App] — your digital ashram for daily Sadhana, soul-rooted practice, and community.
👉 Or start by showing up in person at our new home studio, Mode Movement.
Either way, let’s walk our paths together.
Because your Dharma will never look like mine. And that’s the whole point.
Quick Q&A
Q: What does Dharma mean in yoga?
A: Dharma is your soul’s unique path or purpose. It’s not about copying someone else’s success but aligning with your true nature and serving authentically.
Q: How can yoga help me find my Dharma?
A: Practices like daily Sadhana, breathwork, meditation, and journaling help you quiet ego-driven distractions and connect with your inner truth.
Q: What happens if I ignore my Dharma?
A: Living outside your Dharma often leads to burnout, emptiness, and stress. Living aligned with Dharma brings resilience, meaning, and fulfillment.
