How do you know if you're getting better at yoga?

When we think about progress in yoga, we often default to physical milestones. Improved flexibility, reduced back pain, or finally mastering that elusive arm balance—these are tangible indicators that we’re moving forward. But yoga, at its core, is far more than a fitness practice.  

Yoga asks us to look inward. One of my guiding principles is that yoga is not what you do, it's how you do it. So, if yoga isn't just about physical accomplishments, how do we know we’re on the right path?

Growth is Measured by Challenges 

Consider how we test physical strength. We face challenges: lifting heavier weights, running faster, or enduring longer. Similarly, the strength we build in yoga is reflected in how we respond to life’s difficulties. 

The ancient sage Patanjali offers us timeless guidance in the Yoga Sutras:  

Yoga is the mastery of the activities of the mind. (1.2)  

This mastery comes through devoted practice (*abhyasa*) and detachment (*vairagya*). (1.12)  

Progress in yoga isn’t about the poses we conquer; it’s about the mental and emotional strength we cultivate. Can we remain consistent in our efforts, even when progress feels slow? Can we pour our hearts into the practice and still find peace when results don’t match our expectations? These questions lie at the heart of yoga’s dual attitudes of abhyasa and vairagya—a delicate balance between passion and surrender.

Yoga as a Health and Fitness Practice  

For many, yoga begins as a journey toward health and fitness. This pursuit is valid and deeply meaningful when approached with the right mindset.  

Ask yourself:  How dedicated can you be to your health? Can you create sustainable habits around movement, nutrition, and recovery? Can you work toward your goals while accepting the inevitabilities of aging, sickness, and setbacks?  

True progress in yoga is being able to give your best effort while surrendering the results to a higher power, fate, or simply the flow of life.

Sometimes we don’t know how much progress we’ve made in yoga until we’re forced to confront a disappointment or loss.

How to Put This Into Practice  

It’s one thing to understand these principles in theory, but how do we live them out in daily life? One powerful method is the Stoic practice of premeditatio malorum—meditating on potential loss.

Start small. Imagine losing something inconsequential, like your favorite cup. Reflect on the attachment you feel and practice letting it go mentally. Then, move on to imagining something more significant: your phone, your car, or even your health. This practice trains the mind to release attachments and accept life’s inevitable changes.

For those practicing yoga to resolve back pain or improve their health, this balance of devotion and detachment is especially important. It’s easy to become fixated on results—counting the days until the pain subsides or the body feels stronger. But yoga asks us to focus on the practice itself.