Are There Rules in Yoga?

About This Class

In this short Q&A segment, Bryan Kest challenges the notion of rigid rules in yoga, arguing that codified systems — whether Iyengar, Bikram, Sivananda, or Ashtanga — each follow their own differing conventions, which proves that no universal yoga rule book exists. He contends that the moment yoga becomes dogmatic it crosses into religion, the opposite of what yoga is meant to be. Instead, Bryan frames yoga as a living practice of "helpful suggestions" that must be filtered through personal discernment: what serves you today may not serve you tomorrow, and vice versa. The central teaching is to honor your own constantly changing truth, tune into your uniqueness, and ultimately trust your inner experience over any external authority — including the yoga instructor in front of you.