Ego: Not the Enemy, but the Foundation

A common view is that the ego must be dissolved, transcended, or even killed off.
But at Circle Yoga Shala, we see this as only part of the story.

The ego, to us, is not the enemy of awakening — it’s one of its necessary foundations.

The Role of the Ego

Before one can transcend the ego, there must first be a healthy ego to transcend.

A well-developed sense of self provides the structure and stability we need to meet life fully.

Just as the spine holds the physical body upright, the ego provides the psychic architecture that helps the individual navigate the world. It gives us direction, coherence, and the ability to stand in relationship — to others, to our practice, and to the greater whole of life itself.

Without this structure, our spiritual work can become ungrounded — a flight upward without roots, a reaching for dissolution before there is something strong enough to dissolve.

Working with the Ego

Our approach is not to do away with the ego, but to refine it.

Through embodied practice, awareness, and breath, we learn to place the ego in its rightful role — as a servant, not a master.

When the ego serves rather than controls, it becomes an instrument of liberation. It helps organize the human experience in a way that allows consciousness to flow through us more freely. The ego, then, supports the awakening process instead of obstructing it.

A Balanced Path

At Circle Yoga Shala, we guide practitioners toward both strength and surrender — developing a stable center of self that can then yield gracefully into something greater.

The journey is not about destroying who we are, but about remembering what the self is in service to.

Through this balance, the human being becomes a bridge:
firm in presence, yet fluid in spirit.

An Invitation

If this way of seeing resonates with you — if you’re curious about an embodied path that honors both the ego and the essence — we invite you to explore with us.

Join one of our signature trainings or retreats experience how strength and surrender coexist —
in body, breath, and being.