Purpose: the word that we all seem to chase.
When I prepare my classes, they always start with a word, and so do my blogs. Today, while preparing one of my classes, a word came up that has a big meaning in yoga, and today I want to explore it.
I remember my first YTT, where I had a teacher who taught a class called The Peak Pose. In that class, within a yoga sequence, the peak pose would most of the time become our purpose during that sequence.
This class shocked me quite a bit, because up until then my practice was more based on simply flowing with my body, trying to connect to the present moment. And don’t get me wrong, I also like to create classes around a peak pose, but most of my classes are based on following the present moment, exploring the current energy and unfolding our inner potential.
If you read my previous blog, where I talked about finding your inner voice, this is exactly what I mean. So in today’s blog, let’s explore this concept of purpose from different angles.
Exploring purpose in life can bring different perspectives, because for many people, life is about having a purpose. But the question I would love to explore here is: do we really need a purpose to live? Is that really what life is about - purpose?
In my work, I have met many different types of people, with various backgrounds, from different cultures and societies. I have experienced the best and the worst of people. I have lived in different countries and explored different types of jobs. So I have seen many faces of this word, and also what it means to live with a purpose - or without one.
Purpose can be really liberating, but it can also become a burden, or even an obsession - a path that we think we are pursuing. However, one day you may wake up and realise that the purpose that used to get you out of bed has disappeared.
So from what I have said so far, you can already see that the purpose of this blog has explored different paths. As a yoga facilitator, I love to explore this topic in my classes, because for some people, purpose will be the only reason they keep going, and for others, it will be the very reason that stops them from continuing and growing.
Purpose in a yoga class: the different angles I explore
Purpose is not something you “find”; it’s something you relate to.
We often talk about purpose as if it were hidden somewhere, waiting to be discovered. But I like to see purpose as a relationship - it changes as we evolve. Something we love at 25 may make us feel empty at 45. Our purpose changes as we change. Losing a sense of purpose is often a sign of transition, not of being lost. In this sense, purpose is dynamic, not fixed.
Purpose vs. survival mode.
Many people confuse survival roles with purpose. When life has been about coping, providing, pleasing or enduring, those roles can feel like “who I am”. Survival gives direction, but not necessarily meaning. When survival ends, emptiness often appears, and that emptiness is frequently misread as depression. When survival stops and you allow yourself to be your true self, purpose finally has space to emerge.
Purpose doesn’t always feel inspiring.
There is a cultural myth that purpose feels exciting, clear and motivating. In reality, purpose often feels quiet, repetitive, ordinary, and sometimes inconvenient. Many meaningful lives are built on small, consistent acts rather than big missions. Purpose most of the time feels grounded, not glamorous - so keep believing in the little acts.
Purpose vs. productivity.
We live in a yang culture and I know I repeat this often - but purpose has been hijacked by productivity culture. “What am I here to do?” becomes “What should I produce?” This leads to burnout disguised as purpose. True purpose often includes being, relating, caring and witnessing - not only doing. Purpose is not measured by output, but by presence.
Purpose after loss, crisis or identity collapse.
After grief, illness, divorce or burnout, old purposes often no longer fit. There is usually a “void phase” where nothing feels meaningful. This phase is psychologically necessary - it clears false identities. New purpose grows from what has been integrated, not from what is forced. Purpose often comes after meaninglessness, not before.
Purpose as permission.
For many people - especially those who grew up pleasing or adapting - purpose is less about direction and more about permission. Permission to take up space, to change one’s mind, and to choose oneself without guilt. Sometimes purpose is simply living in alignment with inner truth and letting our true self meet the world. Purpose can be an act of self-authorisation.
Purpose doesn’t have to be singular; it can be many.
Let’s break the idea of “one life purpose”, because it creates pressure and paralysis. Many people live purpose through seasons: raising, healing, creating and simplifying. Multiplicity is not confusion - it is complexity and creativity. Trusting your inner voice is brave. You can have many purposes in one life, and no one should tell you otherwise.
I would love to finish this blog with the last and most precious theme I explore in my classes when talking about purpose: purpose as presence. Some philosophies and psychological approaches suggest that purpose is not a goal, but a way of inhabiting life - how you listen, how you show up, how you respond. Purpose can be found in how you live, not only in what you do.
So keep this last thought close: