Blog Robert Phillips Blog Robert Phillips

Don't Overcomplicate Your Practice

It’s incredibly easy to overcomplicate things.

This is especially true when dealing with traditions such as meditation, where we draw on thousands of years of history from dozens of major lineages.

The Pali Canon, widely considered the oldest surviving compendium of the Buddha’s teachings, is a whopping 2,708,706  words long!

No wonder we feel the need to complicate things.

This immense volume of information can be overwhelming when we first start on the path. Even after reading dozens of books, things can still seem confusing.

The good news is that beneath this seeming complexity, the fundamentals of practice are incredibly straightforward.

The backbone of all forms of meditation can be boiled down to one simple skill.

This simple skill is the ability to reconnect to this moment again and again.

While it may seem trivial, this is the pathway to ultimate liberation.

At its most basic, the entire path of liberation can be summarized in a few sentences:

  • Notice each moment just as it is without resistance.

  • Keep coming back to the moment, again and again, as many times as possible.

  • Repeat until awakening.

These instructions might seem overly simplistic, but this is the path’s essence. All the other, more esoteric aspects stand on the foundation of this simple practice.

If you focus your intentions on mastering the simple process of noticing this moment, you will reap tremendous benefits.

The most powerful thing about reframing our practice this way is that it becomes something that can indeed be done at any time.

No matter where you are, waking up to this moment is possible.

Let’s try it right here and now.

Just pause reading for a few seconds and notice what shows up for you.

Can you feel your body, your breath? What is going on in the environment around you?

That simple moment was a tiny unit of practice.

The other secret here is that even when we undertake a more extended practice - such as a 30-minute meditation - that practice is ultimately just a collection of many smaller moments.

If you can commit to returning to this repeatedly throughout your day, that alone will transform the quality of your attention.

You’ll spend less time worrying about the future and less time ruminating on the past.

You’ll be able to appreciate what is truly happening right now. Even the simplest things take on a new depth when we genuinely pay attention to them.

This simple, repeated process will cause you to change your relationship to all aspects of your life.

Don’t let overcomplication cause you to miss out on the fundamental liberation of just being here for this moment. 

And this moment, too.

The moment of connection is the junction where it all comes together. 

If we can learn to be here as we are, without extra expectations, everything else can fall into place.

Please give it a try this week. See how many times you can remember to return and be here now.

I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Follow the links below for opportunities to practice with me:

If you'd like to practice with me right now, check out one of the dozens of free classes on my YouTube.

For live classes, either in-person or online - see my latest class schedule here.

To make the most optimal progress in your practice, contact me to schedule a one-on-one session.

And if you haven't yet, subscribe to my newsletter for regular insights about practice and life - 

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Blog Robert Phillips Blog Robert Phillips

3 Things A Consistent Yin Yoga Practice Will Teach You

Bitter Practice, Sweet Result

Your first Yin Yoga class is going to be challenging. Possibly very challenging.

After a lifetime of distraction, the simple act of slowing down is bound to be a struggle.

This is compounded by the challenge of the physical sensations that you will feel in the poses.

It’s our instinct to want to move or fidget at the first sign of discomfort.

Over the years, in the face of this struggle, I've seen a small handful of students walk right out in the middle of class. In one of the most extreme examples, I even had a student get up and start doing Vinyasa flows by herself in the middle of class!

To each their own.

And yet, despite the challenges, by the end of class, most students will start to get it.

Maybe it’s the calm they feel in a resonance pose. Or maybe how they feel later in the day after class.

When they see the results of simply slowing down and taking their time, it can feel as if an immense weight has been lifted off their shoulders.

As my teacher Josh Summers says of Yin Yoga: "Bitter practice, sweet result."

But even better is what you will see and learn after 10 classes - or 100 classes or more. Like so many things, the fruits of the practice will only blossom with more time and consistency.

Here are just three of the many things that a consistent Yin Yoga practice will teach you:

You'll Learn How To Truly Play Your Edge

The average person is almost entirely unaware of what their body is capable of. They don't know when to stop or when they can push.

The essence of Yin Yoga is learning to become comfortable with discomfort and knowing the difference between discomfort and actual pain.

While many new students tend to overdo it, experienced practitioners know right where their line is. They know just when to back away and just when they can push a little deeper.

This has tremendous crossover benefits. It will help you in other styles of practice, but also in any other activity that you use your body for.

You'll Be Practicing Covert Meditation

Yin Yoga IS a form of meditation. It's just one where we work with our body along the way.

Instead of just sitting, we pay deep attention to what we feel in our bodies in each pose.

So, just as with more traditional meditation, if you practice Yin Yoga regularly, your senses will sharpen. You'll learn to notice the finest details in each pose you practice.

And you'll also learn how to cultivate profound equanimity.

Poses like Dragon or Swan are bound to stir up resistance in the mind. At first, you may try to fight it or distract yourself, but this is a losing battle.

Instead, you will learn the power of letting go. You will learn to rest with challenges instead of pushing back against them.

This will give you a massive edge when facing the ordinary struggles of your daily life.

You'll Learn The Real Meaning of Balance

Most people are stressed, overworked, and unable to relax their bodies and minds.

Yin Yoga provides a powerful antidote for both.

By allowing yourself time to truly slow down and tune in, you'll be better prepared to face the challenges of your daily life.

Your Yin Yoga practice will become an invaluable oasis in the desert of your busy life.

The most exciting thing is that the busier you are, the more you'll benefit from the practice.

You'll start to learn just how important it is to slow down.

Start Now, Repeat Infinitely

I've taught thousands of Yin Yoga classes and done thousands of Yin Yoga practices.

However, after over 15 years, I am still learning from the practice.

It is an irreplaceable skill that you will carry with you for your whole life. The practice becomes even MORE intriguing with more time invested.

So, if you already have a regular Yin Yoga practice, awesome! Keep up the excellent work, and notice how you relate to the main points of this article.

If you are new, start now! While it may be challenging initially, I promise that the rewards are absolutely worth it.

Follow the links below for opportunities to practice with me:

If you'd like to practice with me right now, check out one of the dozens of free classes on my YouTube.

For live classes, either in-person or online - see my latest class schedule here.

To make the most optimal progress in your practice, contact me to schedule a one-on-one session.

And if you haven't yet, subscribe to my newsletter for regular insights about practice and life - 

See More

Hi, I'm Rob! I teach Yoga and Meditation in West LA and Online.

You can learn a bit more about me here, in my bio.

Also, check out my public class schedule and upcoming workshops to practice with me in person, or online!