Vairagya: The Practice of Letting Go

Hello yogis! Took me a while to write, because I have TOO MANY things to say about this practice, and it was difficult for me to consolidate, haha! But here it is, for those of you who follow and read Insight, I appreciate your patience.

In February, our theme at Treehouse was Abhyasa, the steady and sincere return to practice. Abhyasa reminds us that growth happens not through intensity, but through consistency — showing up again and again, even when conditions are imperfect.

In the classical teachings of Yoga, however, Abhyasa is never meant to stand alone. It is always paired with another essential principle: Vairagya, which comes from Sanskrit roots meaning "without color, without passion, or free from attachment."

It does not mean indifference, suppression, or lack of care, but rather, learning how to soften or release completely, or to pivot and change paths when the wind blows another direction. If you have been reading our articles here in Insight, I trust you already have an idea how this translates into your asana practice and in your daily life. (But of course, I will still share with you how, at the end of this article.)

A Teacher's Back Story: Remaining a Student

Much like most of you, my own path began with yoga practice: a full-time working single mom and a senior manager for human resources and corporate training in a bank -- my respite was a yoga class after work. I've always been a learner (I love diving into the depth of things), so naturally, I got curious: What is yoga, really? Where did it come from? What is trying to teach me?

In 2012, I got so hooked into Yoga (with a capital Y): its history, philosophy, how it's still relevant even after more than 2500 years, read the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, a huge number of contemporary yoga books, tried all the various yoga classes the Metro could offer, went to many yoga studios and met many yoga teachers, delved into esoteric studies and practices, and, while all these were happening, I naturally got exposed to different kinds of meditation and mindfulness approaches.

Over a couple of years of practicing asana almost every day, my practice naturally expanded into the study of Zen Buddhism and then spun off to Mahayana Buddhism, which, like Yoga, emerged from the same contemplative traditions of ancient India. These traditions shared a common concern with understanding the mind, reducing suffering, and cultivating clarity.

At that time, I thought that the deeper I went, the closer I was getting to something solid — some kind of final understanding, a point where things would finally make sense and stay that way. I wanted certainty. I wanted answers. I wanted to feel that I had arrived somewhere.

But practice has a way of undoing that expectation.

The more I studied, the more I realized that the path was not leading toward having all the answers, but toward becoming less attached to needing them.

This is where the teaching of Vairagya started to make sense to me, not as a philosophical concept, but as a lived experience.

Maybe Vairagya (or letting go, or surrender) means loosening the grip we have on things that we believe will define us, complete us, or finally make us feel secure.

In my case, that grip showed up even in practice itself and in running a yoga brand.

I became attached to learning more, to understanding more, to being good at yoga, to being seen as someone who knew what she was doing. Later on, it even showed up in teaching — wanting to be a good teacher, wanting to say the right things, wanting to feel that I had something to offer. Treehouse as a brand participated in so many social events in its first two years.

And every time I thought I had figured something out, I would feel so drained and I would allow (albeit with resistance) for the practice to quietly school my ego. Not so much in a cruel way, but in the way life often does — by changing circumstances, by challenging what we believe, by putting us in situations where what used to work no longer works. (Sometimes, this is "cry now, restrategize later." IYKYK.)

This is why, over the years, one of the most important shifts for me was realizing that the real practice was not about becoming someone who knows, but about becoming someone who can keep learning without needing to hold on so tightly.

And with this, I always remind the team to live by the "Sometimes a teacher, always a student" mantra.

For me, remaining a student (as we should!) means not needing to be the expert nor needing to have the final answer. Not needing practice to look a certain way in order for it to be meaningful or deep. Not needing to be where every yoga studio (or every studio owner) is seen.

And honestly, all that is such a relief.

Even now, after years of teaching, studying, and running a yoga community, I still find myself back in the same place again and again — confused, curious, starting over, learning something new, unlearning something old... practicing, yet again. Like a beginner. Always a beginner.

And strangely, that no longer feels like going backward. It feels like the practice working exactly the way it should.

What Vairagya means to us on and off the mat (or on our meditation cushion)

In asana practice, Vairagya shows up as easing out of comparison, letting go of how a pose “should” look, and softening the urge to push beyond what is appropriate—choosing presence over performance.

In meditation, Vairagya is the practice of noticing thoughts arise and allowing them to pass without chasing or resisting them—resting in awareness without grasping for calm or clarity.

In daily life, Vairagya asks a grounding question: not “How do I control this?” but “Can I engage fully—and release the outcome?”

To our YTT trainees who will have their finals this coming weekend, my gatha and mantra for you is this:

Breathe in, open your eyes. Breathe out, soften your body.

Good luck on your classes!

You already are capable.

The whole Treehouse Yoga Community is right behind your success.

And together, we surrender.

With so much gratitude,

Rachel

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