The Gift of Slowing Down: Why Deep Practice Matters

Sunday’s workshop, Living Tantra in Tumultuous Times: Finding Inner Peace in an Ever-Changing World, was one of those classes that reminded me why I love teaching yoga so much.

It was deeply moving to hear from so many of the students afterward. People shared their gratitude in the chat and through emails, and I could feel that something had shifted—not only for them, but for me as well. I found myself reflecting on the value of deep practice.

Why did we go so deep in this class? Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. But I think several things came together at just the right moment.

We had 90 minutes.

That may not sound like a lot, but compared to a 45-minute class, it felt luxurious. We had time for Tantric teachings, mantra, asana, pranayama, meditation, and a long, deeply guided Savasana. We weren’t rushing from one thing to the next. We had time to settle, to listen, to feel, and to let the teachings move from our heads into our bodies and hearts.

Even the pranayama became an exploration of subtlety. As we moved through Nāḍī Śodhana, alternating the currents of the sun and moon, we explored the delicate pathways of energy within us. I offered the image of this practice as a kind of cross-friction massage to the central channel, Suṣumnā—the channel of evolutionary transformation. As the central channel relaxes and opens, it is as though something begins to swell and flow, allowing more light, healing, and awareness to move through both the physical and subtle body.

These are the kinds of experiences that require time.

There was also something about practicing together on a Sunday afternoon. People seemed more relaxed, more spacious. And perhaps the timing was perfect. Summer is ending. Work and school are beginning again. Life starts to speed up. The pace quickens, responsibilities accumulate, and stress begins to creep back into our nervous systems.

Maybe what we really needed was permission to slow down. And with the world around us feeling increasingly turbulent and uncertain, I think we need that more than ever.

So much of what happens in the world—and in our personal lives—can pull us out of our center. We are continually exposed to news, conflict, uncertainty, and events over which we have little or no control. Our nervous system was never designed to live with anxiety as the baseline. We need to regularly temper our anxiety. Cool it down. Slow it down. And return to that deeper, quieter place within.

This is what yoga gives us.

Deep within each of us is a steady presence full of knowledge, wisdom, strength, and courage. But we have to turn inward to discover it. We have to cross the threshold from the external world into the internal world—from fear toward peace, from contraction toward openness, from our habitual patterns toward the freedom of our true nature. That takes courage.

It takes courage to turn away from our devices. Courage to turn off the television and radio and listen to silence. Courage to face uncertainty without allowing it to determine who we are. And courage to surrender.

In Tantra, surrender doesn’t mean giving up. It means becoming receptive to what is—to allow this moment to be as it is, without fighting against it. There is tremendous vulnerability and strength in that kind of surrender.

And this is one of the great gifts of giving ourselves more time to practice.

Back in the day, most yoga classes were 90 minutes. Workshops were often full weekends with 10 or 12 hours of practice. When I lived at the ashram, we practiced for at least two and a half hours every morning, followed by chanting and Satsang in the evenings. Luxurious!

It’s interesting to look back and realize how much life has sped up. Yet consciousness hasn’t changed. The human heart hasn’t changed. Our bodies, minds, and hearts still need time to settle, soften, open, and remember who we are.

Maybe we don’t need three hours every day. 

But perhaps we need 90 minutes every once in a while. And perhaps we need to remember that giving ourselves this time is not selfish. It is essential.

I want to thank everyone who showed up on Sunday—not just for registering, but for bringing your whole self to the practice. For your willingness to listen, explore, breathe, feel, question, surrender, and go deeper. Your dedication and sincerity are what make teaching so meaningful to me. I can say this about all of my students.

I adore you.

I feel incredibly fortunate to walk this path with you. Because Sunday reminded me that this is why I’m here. When I see someone soften, open, find a little more space inside, or reconnect with a part of themselves that had been buried beneath the noise of life, I feel deeply fulfilled. I feel like I’ve touched my purpose.

So, because of the powerful impact of Sunday’s workshop, I’ve decided to offer this kind of deeper practice a few times a year, on Sunday afternoons whenever possible. A little more time. A little less rushing. A chance to slow down, go deeper into the subtlety of the practice, and step across the threshold into the inner world of being—where we can relax, melt, and rediscover the beauty of what it means to be human on this extraordinary journey of awakening.

This is my offering to you.

This is why I’m here.

And honestly, this gives me the greatest joy.

Because as I offer these teachings to you, I receive them too. Yes, I’m doing this for you. But deep down, I know I’m doing it because this is my gift—and because I care so deeply about your freedom, your steadiness, and your joy, just as I care about my own.

From the Depth of My Heart to Yours,

Namaste,

Todd

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