OUT OF THE MUD I BLOOMED
- Lalla
Black Lotus Yoga is a hymn to the soul—a song hummed in praise, a prayer whispered through the body, a garland of blossoms, strung on a thread of breath, offered in reverence to the sublime source from which all yoga springs.
What is Black Lotus Yoga?
Black Lotus Yoga is the latest blossom of the modern vinyasa tradition, a potent practice of breath and movement that opens the inner channels of the body and invites the creative sap to flow. Rooted in Hatha principles, the practice works with the natural movements of the breath to quicken the vital forces of the body and to open the entire organism to the spontaneous overflowing of life. The point is not simply to exhilarate, but to make space for the creative power to blossom, to open its lotus petals and spread them upward into the light.
There are six sequences in the Black Lotus system, arranged in progressive order of difficulty. Each sequence has its own unique signature, but all follow the same arc—they raise the vital force through the center of the body, in one graceful movement that reaches from earth to sky. This movement is the backbone of traditional Hatha Yoga, and the Black Lotus method revives it, straightens it, and gives it new life.
Black Lotus is not about what yoga was, but about what yoga must now be—a mode of reconnecting to the body, feeling into the heart, and allowing the lost wisdom of the soul to blossom. This is a yoga of renewal, a yoga that reconnects us to the sublime power of life, a yoga of rebirth in a time of collapse, a yoga for a new world.
practice online
You can learn the basics of Black Lotus Yoga here—in the Lotus Pond—our virtual studio.
The Lotus Pond
The Lotus Pond is our new online studio. This is a space to learn, practice and connect. Here you will find the full curriculum of Black Lotus Yoga, filmed in all sequences and variants, together with an ever expanding library of Black Lotus classes and workshops.
Membership gives you access to this material, together with weekly “check-in” sessions with Ty, to discuss the practice live. The basic membership is $30/month. There is no fine print, and you can cancel at any time.
full video curriculum
massive library of classes
regular check-in sessions
downloadable practice sheets
continuous stream of new classes
accessible cross devices on desktop, iOS, and Android
The Lotus Pond
The Lotus Pond is our new online studio. This is a space to learn, practice and connect. Here you will find the full curriculum of Black Lotus Yoga, filmed in all sequences and variants, together with an ever expanding library of Black Lotus classes and workshops.
Membership gives you access to this material, together with regular “check-in” sessions with Ty, to discuss the practice live. The basic membership is $30/month. There is no fine print, and you can cancel at any time.
full video curriculum
massive library of classes
regular check-in sessions
downloadable practice sheets
continuous stream of new classes
accessible cross devices on desktop, iOS, and Android
Symbolism
In the yoga tradition, the white lotus is a symbol of purity. It goes with the old idea that liberation requires us to transcend darkness, to conquer our singular impulses, and radiate pure light. Only when we leave our darkness behind, the symbol seems to say, can we come into bloom.
This idea, like that of original sin, encourages us to find an “other” within, a dark presence or “ego” against which we must struggle throughout our lives. That struggle occupies us, divides us and makes us weak. It separates us from our spiritual power, and leaves us isolated.
What our world needs now is a spirituality that teaches us to embrace ourselves from the beginning, to embrace our darkness and difficulty, to embrace the full reality of being human, and to trust in the wisdom of our own hearts. Because only in connecting with our hearts, and holding ourselves with compassion can we turn our poison into insight.
The black lotus represents the person who faces her demons and makes them her friends, who embraces her shadow, and the shadow of the other, with true openness and generosity. She is the person who follows the wisdom of her own heart, and allows herself to blossom naturally.
The black lotus draws its darkness up from the muck and spreads it out on its petals, raising it gloriously to the sun. It reminds us that darkness is part of our beauty, part of our mystery, and part of the depth of our being. It reminds us that we belong here, as children of the earth, and that we each must blossom in our own way.
Ghost in the Machine
A journal of philosophical rants—delivered to your inbox at sporadic intervals
Expect rogue reflections about the meaning of yoga, the confusions of spiritual seeking, the collapse of world order, and the quiet exhilarations of insight.
I will keep writing to you—damn near every month—like an old friend whose contact you can’t shake. You will sigh when you see my messages, because you know that you have to read. I will be the friend whose rants make your eyes roll, but whose words stay with you, and haunt you, even as you sleep. The ghost in your machine. That’s me.