I Want You to Be Uncomfortable in my Yoga Class

I want you to transform through yoga.

And transformation requires stepping outside of your comfort zone.

Think back to a time in your life when you experienced a real transformation.

It probably wasn’t easy.

You likely went into the metaphorical fire one way and came out another. Along the way you discovered strength you didn’t know you had. You shed limiting beliefs, repeating patterns, judgments, and fear.

Looking back now, you may even feel grateful for the hardship—because of the wisdom and resilience it helped cultivate.

This is exactly why yoga is such a powerful teacher.

If we practice yoga not to be comfortable, but instead to become comfortable within discomfort, we practice maintaining equanimity no matter what the external circumstances are—especially when those circumstances are difficult.

The Discipline of Practice

In yoga philosophy, abhyasa refers to a dedicated and determined practice—one that is consistent, sincere, and long-term. It literally means repetition: the continued practice of yogic techniques to quiet the fluctuations of the mind.

Alongside abhyasa is vairagya—the practice of letting go, or detaching from the outcome of our efforts.

Yoga asks us to keep showing up to the work while releasing our attachment to achieving a particular result.

Even when the posture is hard.

Even when the mind resists.

Can we still show up?

Can we do the work without expectations and remain open to whatever gifts emerge?

This is tapas—discipline.

Doing what we know is good for us even when we don’t feel like doing it.

And showing up when we don’t feel like showing up… is uncomfortable.

Why Feelings Are Not Always the Best Guide

One of the most powerful lessons yoga teaches is learning not to be ruled by our feelings.

Feelings are temporary. They are filtered through past experiences and often distort reality. They tend to focus on avoiding pain and seeking pleasure—very human instincts, but not always the best guides.

On the mat, feelings can pull us out of proper alignment.

We unconsciously escape tension or difficulty and reinforce poor patterns by staying in our comfort zone. Think of the classic example: lifting the hips too high in forearm plank to make the pose easier.

But those habits reinforce misalignment.

Over time, poor movement patterns lead to pain, stiffness, and mobility issues. That is why yoga often emphasizes optimal alignment—to gently guide students out of habitual patterns and repeatedly place the body into healthier positions.

As students practice this, something powerful happens: they develop proprioception—an awareness of where their body is in space.

This lesson applies beyond the mat as well.

In relationships, feelings can trigger impulsive reactions or volatility, often driven by unresolved experiences from the past.

Feelings are valuable information—but they should not be the director of our behavior.

Use them as data, not as the map.

The Practice of Self-Study

Yoga also asks us to practice svadhyaya, the study of the self.

To study the self is simply to become aware.

What are your patterns?

Sometimes we notice them on the mat before we notice them in life.

Where does your mind go when things become difficult?

Do you grasp and cling to expectations?

Do you become rigid or tense under pressure?

Self-study means observing our thoughts, feelings, reactions, and behaviors with curiosity rather than judgment.

It is awareness with compassion.

Alignment With Purpose

In my classes, I don’t often cue students to simply “do what feels best.”

I know that idea is popular, but I don’t believe it leads to growth.

Instead, I guide students toward movements that benefit their joints, organs, and connective tissue—breathing prana, or life energy, through the shapes of the body.

I want students to move energy through challenge, breath, and intentional movement.

Not just to relax—but to release stagnation, gain insight, and cultivate deep awareness.

My goal is for students to step away from the busyness of the outside world and connect with the stillness that already exists inside them—even when the body is not still.

I want them to work through challenge with a peaceful mind.

To do hard things.

To move past the limitations of their thoughts and discover that they are stronger, more stable, and more grounded than they believed.

Yoga can quiet the overreactive emotional brain and strengthen the part of the mind responsible for logic, reasoning, and emotional regulation.

Students leave class realizing something powerful:

They are in charge of their experience.

They already possess the tools for happiness—

by living in the present, accepting what is, showing up, and letting go.

Why I Teach Uncomfortable Classes

When we do hard things on the mat, we practice the resilience required to do hard things in life.

We practice grit.

Strength.

Patience.

Determination.

We discover that we are capable.

That we are powerful.

And that we can remain content—santosha—no matter the circumstance.

That is why I believe an uncomfortable class is often the best teacher.

Instead of trying to be comfortable, learning to become comfortable within discomfort offers a far deeper education.

What kind of class takes you out of your comfort zone?

Let me know in the comments.

With gratitude,

Chris Vanneste

"The only time you are actually growing is when you are uncomfortable."

— T. Harv Eker