#115 Avidya (Spiritual Ignorance) aka Forgetting Who We Are
+ What's Happening This Week at the Mindful Life Practice (Free Classes + Membership Offerings to Support Your Path)
Last week, Rory & I hosted our second Bali Retreat at the amazing resort we host our events at in Bali (with our new community, alcohol free retreats!) It was such a beautiful group of people, and a fantastic opportunity for us to both transform as facilitators. I started getting more and more excited for my 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training, which starts on July 7th (about a month away!) here in Bali.
But I also had a moment earlier this week - one of those little panic spirals. Someone dropped out of our July 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training, and with such a small group already, I felt the stress rise. But then I remembered: our higher powers always know.
Whoever is meant to be there, will be there.
And - just like that - within 24 hours, three new people signed up/confirmed that they are coming! Magic. Alignment. Faith restored. ✨
We now have just one room left for July. So if you've been feeling the pull, now’s the time to jump in! Click here to book.
Here’s what a typical day will look like with us on Yoga Teacher Training…
6:30 - 8:30am Morning Asana & Meditation Practice
8:30am - 9:30am Breakfast
9:30am-11:00am Lecture 1
11:00am-11:15am Break
11:15am-12:45 Lecture 2
12:45-2:00 Lunch
2:00-2:20 Meditation
2:30-4:00 Lecture 3
4:00-4:15 Break
4:15-5:45 Lecture 4
5:45-6:00 Break
6:00-7:00 Kirtan, Circle or Yin
7:00pm Optional Dinner off the Menu
The team facilitating is myself, Jenn and Rory (And Sarah, our community manager, might be coming too!) Jump on and book the last spot here!
✨ A Lesson in Loving Everyone
Me and Rory’s days have settled into a normal routine after the retreat. We practice yoga, we meditate, we eat dinner and lunch together when we can.
Today, Rory and I were having lunch at a cafe when I spotted a friend I hadn’t seen in ages. I waved, but he didn’t notice. Eventually, I got up to say hi — and he responded with, “I’m in a meeting and I’m late.”
Oof. My inner victim flared. Thoughts like, Did I do something wrong? and That was rude... came rushing in.
But then I caught myself. I witnessed myself jumping into roles in the drama triangle - the victim (“did I do something wrong?”) and the attacker (“that was rude.”) (which, if you haven’t been following my latest post, that’s been my current growth focus - trying to notice whenever I jump into one of these roles and call myself back. Here’s my explanation of the drama triangle.)
I reminded myself: My mission is to love everyone and tell the truth. That’s it. That’s the practice.
He wasn’t trying to be rude. He was probably overwhelmed, late, stressed out — like I’ve been a thousand times before. I remembered this beautiful Ram Dass teaching:
“Love everybody and tell the truth.”
So I sat quietly thinking about him and just sent him a lot of love and a lot of grounded energy.
When we lose sight of our spiritual connection, that’s when we jump into roles in the drama triangle like the attacker, the victim, the savior. When we forget to just love everybody and tell the truth, when we forget who we are — that’s avidyā (spiritual ignorance). It’s this week’s theme in our Sutra Sangha Membership, and it’s showing up everywhere for me right now.
If you’re feeling it too, here are some beautiful ways to connect and explore it with us this week:
MEMBERSHIP EVENTS (Sutra Sangha)
Monday (Today!)
Meditation Circle – on Avidyā
🕢 7:30am EST | 7:30pm Bali
In this cozy community circle, we’ll read and reflect on the concept of spiritual ignorance, then drop into guided meditation and journaling to explore how it manifests in our lives. Open sharing encouraged. Book here!
Thurs/Fri
Weekday Asana Practice
🕢 8:30pm EST Thursday | 8:30am Bali Friday
These are gentle, nervous system-regulating flows with elements of mantra, Yoga Nidra, and slow movement — designed to integrate our weekly theme into your body. Book here.
Sunday
Weekend Asana: Meeting the Kleśas on the Mat
🕢 8:30am EST Sunday | 8:30pm Bali
A longer practice with vinyasa, yin, and meditation to explore how avidyā shows up through sensation, breath, and resistance. We’ll close with journaling and optional sharing.
🌟 FREE EVENTS THIS WEEK
Tuesday/Wednesday
Ayurveda Made Easy – with Renee (FREE!)
🕓 6:30 pm Tuesday EST | 6:30am Bali Wednesday
A beautiful closing offering from one of our advanced teacher training grads! Discover simple, practical ways to apply Ayurvedic wisdom to your life through breathwork, discussion, meditation, and mindful movement. Book here.
🎙️ Wednesday
Sober Yoga Girl LIVE: Britt Brandon (FREE)
🕗 7:30am EST | 7:30pm Bali Time
✨ Grounding meditation
✨ Honest conversation about recovery, trauma, and resilience
✨ Live audience Q&A
Britt is a health coach, bestselling author, and survivor-turned-thriver. Her story will crack your heart open and fill it with hope. Join us.
🕊️ Weds/Thurs
Sober Yoga Girl LIVE: Lauryn Axelrod (FREE)
🕗 June 4 @ 8:45pm EDT | June 5 @ 8:45am Bali
Join me and Lauryn Axelrod, Interfaith teacher and author of Ten Words, for a sacred morning of meditation, reflection, and connection.
✨ Guided meditation
✨ A conversation on attention + acceptance
✨ Live Q&A and community reflection
Come with your tea, your journal, and your full heart. This is a space to remember who you are beneath the noise.
🧭 Wherever you are this week...
...whether you’re in the swirl of stress, returning to center, or just remembering what it means to love everyone — come sit with us. Move with us. Be with us.
This community is your soft landing place.
We’re here.
With Love,
Alex