"You Have My Yes."

A lesson from yoga philosophy that completely changed how I think about freedom and commitment

Jun 04, 2026

It amazes me how much I still remember from my 200-hour yoga teacher training back in 2004. So many quotes from master teachers, and experiences from classes, still inform my practice and my life today.

One of those moments came from Professor Douglas Brooks when we were discussing The Bhagavad Gita and the idea of right action. He shared a personal story about his wife expressing concern about his constant travel, teaching young people all over the world, especially women who admired him. He said something like:

“I said yes to you. That makes all other women irrelevant. You have my yes, and there’s only one of those to go around.”

That stayed with me because it felt so clear and uncomplicated. There’s one yes, and it’s already spoken for. No room for confusion or endless negotiation.

This feels applicable to so many areas of life.

We often think freedom comes from having more choices, and certainly some choices matter deeply. We need the freedom to choose our partners, our work, how we’re treated, and what we do with our lives, body, mind, and spirit.

But once those deeper choices are made, commitment itself becomes freeing.

Focus and devotion free us from the tyranny of distraction, minutia, second-guessing, and endless doubt. Finding our true center, and staying aligned with our core values, allows us to live with greater ease, joy, and peace.

But that ease takes effort.

Staying connected to what matters most is a practice.

And on the deepest level, dedication to God, to truth, or to a spiritual path allows the periphery of life to become less consuming. Decisions become simpler. Energy becomes clearer.

It’s a bit like stepping onto a labyrinth. The path is already laid out before you. You simply place one foot in front of the other. The constant decision-making falls away, and you can focus instead on walking with the divine, opening to deeper consciousness, and returning to the center of your own soul.

And interestingly, this idea of “core connection” exists not only spiritually, but physically as well.

The relationship between our center and the rest of our lives, or our bodies, is profound. When the core is supported and functioning well, so many other things begin to organize themselves around it.

That is very much at the heart of this month’s Room To Evolve podcast conversation with Dr. Sandi Rossom: Core Connection and Whole Body Health.

In it, we talk about our core from all points of view, physical to spiritual. I was very inspired to think of this and how it relates to life on and off the mat, and in and out of the labyrinth. We talk about deep listening on all levels. She even takes us on a short practice of listening. Needless to say, it’s worth a listen.

Sandi is currently launching a virtual summer course called Core Connection, focused on establishing and maintaining a truly supportive core for whole-body health. Her goal is to make the tools and practices she offers in one-on-one therapy sessions more accessible, so people can practice in their own space and at their own pace. And when you use the code ROOMTOEVOLVE20, you’ll get 20% off her course! You can learn more about her and her work at drsandi.yoga.

May you trust the wisdom of your own center.
May your ‘yes’ become a path of freedom.
And may each step bring you closer to the core of who you are.

Much love,

Jessica

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