Dharma from the Mat: Play, Don’t Perfect
Reflections on yoga, awareness, and the practice of living
Yoga has never been about getting it right.
And yet, so many of us arrive on the mat already trying to do just that.
We want the pose to look right.
The breath to sound right.
The sequence to feel right.
But what if the practice isn’t asking for correctness at all?
What Is Dharma in a Yoga Class?
Kristen Kauke teaching at Prana Yoga Center in Geneva, Illinois. (Learn more about Kristen’s teaching.)
In yoga philosophy, dharma refers to one's life purpose, the inner path that keeps us aligned with our truest self. It reminds us that yoga is not just movement, but a lived philosophy. It’s sometimes described as our “right way of being,” not in terms of perfection, but in terms of authenticity.
In class, a dharma talk is a short reflection offered by the teacher to weave movement, breath, and life together. It invites us to consider how what happens on the mat mirrors how we live off the mat.
Recently, Kristen Kauke shared a dharma reflection by master yoga teacher Tias Little that beautifully reframes what practice can be.
The Spirit of Play
Kristen offered these words:
“Don't try to master this life or make yourself perfect. Just play along. For our practice is not about getting it all right. If we approach our practice by trying to do it all correctly, our brains and bodies become rigid. Instead, be open, let go of control…play.
But in this life, so many of us feel obligated to have to get things right. If you aim for correctness, you become horrified to make a mistake. And when you forget the spirit of play, you divide the world into right and wrong, good and bad, success and failure.
Playfulness goes against the mind that tries to succeed. In play acting and play-making there are no mistakes. In fact, play requires that you leave your executive functioning at the door. In play, we are not legitimizing the ego and its demands. Rather play is done by letting go of the very same self consciousness that falsely assumes it must stay in control.”
—Tias Little
These words feel especially relevant in a world that constantly evaluates, measures, and compares.
Why This Matters in Yoga (and in Life)
When we approach yoga practice with a performance-driven mindset, the nervous system tightens. The breath becomes shallow. The body braces.
But when we shift our yoga practice mindset toward curiosity and play, something softens.
Playfulness doesn’t mean lack of effort.
It doesn’t mean sloppiness.
It means openness.
It means allowing movement to be exploration rather than achievement.
Kristen often reminds students that yoga is not an Instagram pose or a measure of flexibility. It is a practice of awareness, a cultivation of mindfulness in yoga — and awareness requires gentleness. When we release the need to succeed, we create space for something more honest to arise.
And that may be the deeper dharma of practice.
A Reflection for You
Where in your life are you trying to get it “right” instead of allowing yourself to play?
What would shift if you loosened the grip of perfection — just a little?
Yoga offers us a rehearsal space for this. Each time we wobble in Tree Pose. Each time we forget the sequence. Each time we breathe through something unfamiliar.
There are no mistakes in practice. Only information. Only awareness. Only the invitation to soften.
If this reflection resonates with you, Kristen will be exploring these ideas more deeply in her March 1 workshop at Prana Yoga Center.
Practice at Prana
Dharma lives in quiet moments of awareness — in breath, in movement, in reflection. At Prana Yoga Center in Geneva, Illinois, our teachers thoughtfully weave these reflections into classes across styles and levels.
Whether you’re seeking strength, stillness, restoration, or deeper self-study, you’ll find space here to explore yoga beyond the pose.
Step onto the mat and experience yoga not as performance, but as presence.