Maybe it's my appreciation for literature and language that makes yoga metaphors so compelling. Or perhaps it's just my disdain for trite explanations. More likely, though, it's the fact that I can talk about virtually anything I want to and make it relate to yoga. (For example, "Did you see American Idol last night? The contestants who are the most successful are those who know they're amazing singers no matter what the judges say. If you notice a Simon Cowell in your head during class today, tune him out.") The best metaphors are creative and playful, but at the same time serious and memorable.

This week, I tried using a visual metaphor to explain to my students why yoga works so well. I got this idea from the YogaEd director Leah Kalish at the Yoga Journal conference a few weeks ago and I couldn't wait to use it.

Here's what you need:

• a glass bowl


• a colorful sponge


• water

You fill the bowl with water and put the sponge in, letting it sink to the bottom. You let your students know that they are the sponge, and the bowl of water is their life. We often get bogged down with stress, pressure, and day-to-day life that we become completely saturated—it's like we're drowning. But when we come to yoga class it temporarily takes us out of our life (take the sponge out of the water). With each twist, back bend, forward bend, and side stretch (which you demonstrate with the sponge held over top of the bowl), we release our stress. And by the end, we're more sponge and less water! You can breathe! Then, when you go back to your life, you might float on top for a while. When you sink, it's time for yoga again!

So simple!