What is Yoga? Bruce Lee Can Help

Yoga is a journey and a destination, but what does that even mean? The answer requires a great deal of context.

In our Yoga teacher training, I spend many mornings talking about Devi's journey towards asking Shiva (the first yogi according to yogic lore) a question about reality. The question from Devi (the first-ever yoga student) isn’t something that just popped into her mind one day. Devi, also known as Parvati, had to go through a long, soul-searching journey—lots of introspection and a deep dive into her own being—just to be in the right mindset to ask such a profound question. If she hadn’t been ready, emotionally and psychologically, Shiva would’ve just stayed quiet. Or, once Parvati asked, "Oh Shiva, what is your reality?" Shiva might have replied, "Do you know your reality?"

From studying the fascinating dialogue and backstory of Shiva and Parvati, I’ve come to understand that yoga (and I’m not talking about the physical poses here) is a journey of self-discovery. Yoga is both the journey and the realization.

Introspection is a crucial part of this journey. But what exactly is introspection? It’s the practice of looking inward, examining our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and trying to understand what’s really happening beneath the surface. Why do we act the way we do? What influences, both positive and negative, are driving our behavior?

Introspection doesn’t just happen on its own—it’s a skill we cultivate over time. We develop it with the support of friends, through experiences like yoga teacher training, during life-changing events, or as a result of trauma. In my case, it’s also been shaped by reading books on behavior, trauma, psychology, and philosophy.

These kinds of books challenge our understanding of ourselves and others and can be incredibly eye-opening—almost enlightening. They help us see that every action is a reaction to something or someone, and that we are solely responsible for our lives as they continue to unfold. As the Sufi poet Rumi wisely said, "Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself."

We all know someone who seems to make the same “mistake” over and over again, like choosing the same type of toxic boyfriend (just as an example). That behavior often stems from not understanding why we act the way we do—what’s driving those decisions?

By learning about ourselves and human behavior, we can start to identify these patterns, recognize the root causes, and develop the confidence to make better choices. This isn’t just about avoiding toxic relationships; it’s about improving our overall emotional health and well-being. We can steer clear of self-destructive behaviors and create a more positive, healthy life simply because we’ve come to understand that if we are our own worst enemies, we also have the power within ourselves to change, one small decision at a time.

If you’re trying to be a better version of yourself, guess what? You’re a yogi. If you’re working on being a better dad, husband, or partner, and you’re figuring out how to do that, then you’re a yogi. Got a book you’re reading just to learn and grow as a person? Yep, that makes you a yogi too.

At least in my interpretation.

I often tell my teacher training groups that yoga is purely psychological. But what does that mean? We know that who we are today is a patchwork of our past, especially our traumas. As someone like Gabor Maté would say, even as grown adults, we’re often reflections of the childhood traumas we’ve experienced, no matter how small. That stuff sticks with us. It can dictate our choices, our actions, and our lives if we let it. Or, we can choose to confront it—through learning, introspection, talking, and education—and refuse to let our traumas dictate our entire lives. If we don’t recognize that we are shaped by our traumas, we risk being victims our whole lives. We never find peace within. And when does it end? In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna more or less tells Arjuna that just because he refuses to go to war, it doesn’t mean the war won’t come to him. He has to confront the war, or it will enslave him—and who else does he enslave by refusing to fight?

This brings me to Bruce Lee.

In his life story, “The Dragon,” Bruce is tormented by a demon. This demon visits him in nightmares, leaving Bruce powerless, waking up just before the demon is about to destroy him. But one vision was different. In this one, Bruce’s demon wasn’t just coming for him—it was approaching his crying son, Brandon. And it was in that moment, seeing the danger his demon posed to his son, that Bruce finally found the courage to fight back. He stepped up and finally defeated the demon, and in doing so, Bruce saved his son. What Bruce did was stop his demon from being passed down to the next generation. He saved Brandon from Bruce's demons. This was a moment of realization that Bruce had avoided or feared his whole life. The demon wasn’t literally real—it represented his fears. It was Bruce's own demons.

And that’s what trauma does—it’s like a demon. It haunts us, tries to control us, and if we’re not careful, it can be passed down to those we love. But through the journey of yoga, of self-discovery, introspection, personal education, and a commitment to learning and growing, we have the chance to confront those demons, to face our trauma head-on, and have the courage and foresight to choose a different path.

We are not yogis just because we do yoga poses.

We have to make a wholehearted commitment to understanding ourselves, our behaviors, our place in the world, and to becoming a better version of who we are. We don’t try to fix the world; we focus on fixing ourselves. As Bruce Lee once said, “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.”

So, if you’re trying to be better—if you’re working on understanding yourself, growing as a person, and fighting your own demons—then there is nothing wrong with you. You are a yogi. You are honoring the divinity within by simply trying to be better.

Someone once asked me if I do yoga every day. And I know what they meant—they were asking about the poses. I said no, but in my heart, I said yes. Each day, I try to be a better dad and a better husband. That is all I want in life. I don’t always succeed—sometimes it feels like my demons have a hold on me. But I take each day as a new day because I have made a wholehearted commitment to be better.

Now, let me leave you with a Sufi story about Mulla Nasruddin that ties into this idea of self-discovery and confronting our own demons:

One evening, Mulla Nasruddin was on his hands and knees searching for something under a streetlamp. A friend came by and asked, “Mulla, what are you looking for?”

“I’m looking for my key,” replied Nasruddin.

The friend joined him in the search, but after a while, he asked, “Are you sure you lost it here?”

“No,” said Nasruddin, “I lost it in my house, but the light is better out here.”

This story reminds us that while it’s easier to look for answers where it’s comfortable—outside of ourselves, in the light—we often need to search within, where it’s darker and more challenging. It’s only by confronting the shadows within us that we can truly find what we’re looking for.

Zahir Akram - eternal seeker

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