Yoga Practice Offers Path too Transform Suffering, Not Accept Abuse, Expert Says
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - A growing movement within yoga is encouraging practitioners to move toward their pain, rather than away from it, as a pathway to personal empowerment – but with a crucial caveat: this isn’t about accepting abusive situations. Jivana Heyman,a leading yoga instructor and author,details this concept of “tapas” – frequently enough translated as discipline or fiery effort – in his book Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion,and emphasizes its potential to transmute suffering into strength.
Tapas, as Heyman explains, is the willingness to experience tough emotions and understand the underlying reasons for reactive behaviors. He illustrates this with a personal example: a recent interaction with his husband regarding neglected houseplants sparked a realization about his own patterns. Instead of responding defensively, he recognized an opportunity to communicate his hurt feelings directly, fostering connection rather than escalating conflict.
“When I’m in pain, I don’t respond in ways that are in alignment with my larger goals in life,” Heyman writes. “Such as, I love my husband and want to create a loving and supportive relationship with him.So rather than snapping back, I could have shared honestly by saying, ‘When you criticize me, it hurts my feelings.'”
However, Heyman is emphatic that tapas is not a justification for enduring abuse. He stresses the importance of safeguarding against spiritual bypassing – using spiritual concepts to avoid addressing painful realities – and cautions against allowing spiritual teachers or “gurus” to exert control.
“Tapas is not an excuse to accept abuse,” he writes. “This point is especially crucial for anyone who has been abused, marginalized, or otherwise experienced trauma.”
The practice, he argues, is about finding a “skillful balancing act” between opening the heart to learn from suffering and maintaining healthy boundaries. He draws inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr., who chose to “transform the suffering into a creative force” rather than succumb to bitterness.
This transformation, Heyman explains, is facilitated through the embodied practices of yoga, which provide a physical and energetic outlet for processing emotions like anger, grief, and frustration. It’s a holistic approach, a “beautiful choreography” of mind and body.
While deeply personal,Heyman acknowledges that tapas isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution and warns against imposing it on others,as it could be misinterpreted as victim-blaming.Ultimately, he believes it offers a “gateway to empowerment.”
Those interested in exploring tapas and the eight limbs of yoga further can join Jivana Heyman’s upcoming live online course, Accessible Pranayama & Meditation: Exploring the Eight Limbs of Yoga, available through the Accessible Yoga School.
