The Chuck Miller Top 10

This past weekend, Chuck Miller paid a long-awaited visit to Pure Yoga. For those of you who don’t know this man, Chuck started practicing in 1971. He studied with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois on and off for several years and was one of the original founders of YogaWorks.

I attended two workshops and I wish I could have attended more. He was so smart, generous, and he offered a much gentler approach to Ashtanga. But philosophically, I think he’s a genius several times over so here are the highlights from the 6+ pages of notes I took:

1. Practice doesn’t make “perfect.” Practice makes permanent.
2. Practice until the deepest part of you is revealed. Until you’re not wearing a mask anymore. You’ll know that’s been achieved when the inside matches the outside.
3. Lack of knowledge is the root of our suffering.
4. Learn to use opposition. Difficulties are a gift because they are tools for observation. Be thankful for them.
5. The beginning and the preparation are more important than the finish. The finale will not come unless the preparation has been done.
6. The softest part of you will bend thereby we tend to push into the weakness. Notice when are you pushing into weaknesses and making the weak, weaker.
7. Gravity and unconsciousness intersect. When we’re tired, gravity pulls us farther down. Sit up tall and pull yourself up, create the uplifting through the center, the chakras, by rooting down.
8. We’ve given authority away and let others tell us who we are and what we should do. Reclaim it. We have the authority over ourselves. No one else does.
9. We want to de-condition to re-condition into authenticity.
10. Yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory.

I’m certainly going to take this 1% philosophy and incorporate it into the 99% practice. If Chuck is ever in a city near you, I highly recommend taking his class!

Namaste…