Driving at Night

Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.

― E.L. Doctorow

In yoga—as in writing, and life—you can’t always see the full path ahead. Often, you’re just following the next cue, breath by breath. And while that uncertainty can be uncomfortable, it can also be liberating.

I learned this years ago in a workshop with a teacher known for her unconventional approach to arm balances. I had been working toward Eka Pada Koundinyasana (One-legged Side Crow) for months, with little success and plenty of face plants. 

Rather than beginning with the usual drills and prep work, she led us through a completely unfamiliar sequence. Instead of resisting, I stayed present, focusing on each instruction as it came with curiosity rather than expectation.

Suddenly—I was in the pose. I hadn’t forced it or thought my way into it. Letting go of needing to know where I was headed freed me to engage fully with each step. Breath by breath, movement by movement, I arrived exactly where I’d hoped to go.

This illustrates the idea of mat as microcosm - how our practice can be a training ground for skillfully navigating life’s bigger challenges. Like intently following road lines on a foggy night, we learn to face uncertainty by attending to what’s directly before us. Clarity emerges gradually, revealing just enough to see the right next step. 

When the way ahead isn’t clear, you’re brought squarely into the present moment and into the flow of life as it unfolds. Wondering what’s coming down the road or dwelling on where you’ve just been isn’t only counterproductive, it distracts from the focus needed to respond to what's in front of you. This kind of absorption in the moment - known in Sanskrit as samadhi - is synonymous with the state of yoga itself. 

Yoga isn’t just about reaching a destination – a pose, a quieted mind, or a breakthrough moment. It’s also about trusting the process itself— learning from our missteps, letting go of what we can’t control, and responding to reality with awareness.

How freeing—and maybe even thrilling— to realize that you don’t need to see the whole road ahead. You just need to take the right next step and keep going.

Yes, life in 2025 can feel a lot like driving on a foggy night. A conscious yoga practice doesn’t just help us make the whole trip - it elevates and transforms the journey itself.

A Short Practice for Trusting the Process

At the start of your next practice, take a few moments in stillness. Set this intention:
I don’t need to see the whole path. I trust the next step.

Then, as you move:

• Focus only on the poses or transitions you’re in—resist thinking ahead to the next one.
• Breathe mindfully, allowing your attention to rest on each inhale and exhale.
• Let each instruction or cue land fully before responding. Move with curiosity instead of expectation.

At the end, notice what shifted—not in the poses or practices themselves, but in how you related to the experience.