The primary cause of disease and malady is stress. Stress is caused by reactivity in the mind, or more precisely, stress is reactivity of the mind. Responding strongly to events – real or imagined – out of fear, wanting, avoiding, pride, etc. leads to further agitation in the mind. Yoga calls these whirlpool movements of the mind “vrittis.” When the mind is agitated, the body becomes agitated. We often point to the events and circumstances in our lives as the causes of our stress. The fact is, however, that no external event has the intrinsic power to cause vrittis. On the contrary, yoga says that the upsetting event was caused by the vrittis themselves. There’s no law that states you have to react strongly to what happens to you, or at all. It’s how we choose to respond that is responsible for the experience of stress. There’s no such thing as a stressful event; events are neutral. What makes an event good or bad is the label we assign to it; how it’s perceived. There are no problems outside of the human mind. Wherever there’s a person complaining about having a bad day, you’ll find a person who’s mind is agitated, causing that perception. The next time you have a “bad day,” consider you’re your mental state as root cause. The chief aim of yoga practice is to quiet the mind (chitta-vritti-nirodha) so as to experience and know the Self as pure joy. Regular yoga practice will help you cultivate a capacity to stay calm regardless of what happens around you. You will develop a sphere of calm that will continue to expand until nothing can steal your peace. ‘Flash Point’ is a Level 3 Vinyasa flow class specifically designed to challenge your ability to stay mentally still in the heat of an electric firestorm. It will take you right up to the point of combustion, without blowing you up. This fun, faster-pace class is inspired by choreography from various disciplines. Let your inner dancer out!