What Some People Call Magic…
…is really just practice showing its face.
“What some people call magic, others call practice.”
When I did my first 200-hour training at Laughing Lotus in 2006, the place felt like stepping into another universe.
Pink walls. Glitter everywhere. Spray-painted deities. Chandeliers hanging next to graffiti. Music pulsing in a way that the walls feel like they had a heartbeat.
And at the center of all of that was the owner and lead teacher — Dana Flynn.
She didn’t teach my 200-hour training — Bryn and Stacey did — but Dana’s presence was woven into the whole place. The creativity, the sequencing, the energy… it all carried her signature.
And here’s the thing I don’t think I’ve ever said out loud:
The reason I chose Laughing Lotus for my YTT in the first place was because it scared me a little.
I was more introverted back then — quieter, tucked inside my comfort zone — and Lotus was the opposite of that. Big, expressive, in-your-face in the best possible way.
I knew that if I wanted to find my voice as a teacher, I needed to step into a space that would pull me out of hiding. Lotus did exactly that.
But even with that intention, I’ll be honest: I didn’t really “get” Dana at the time.
She intimidated me.
The sunglasses.
The huge dharma talks.
The full-spectrum energy that filled the room.
And the wild part is — a lot of us looked at her and thought, “Wow, she something special.”
She had that kind of presence. The kind that made a room feel bigger, wilder, brighter just because she walked in.
But here’s what I understand now in a way I absolutely could not at 27:
All that “magic” — the charisma, the confidence, the creativity — was just Dana transmitting the depth of her practice.
Year after year of studying, chanting, reading Rumi, living and breathing Bhakti.
No matter how eccentric or colorful or bold Dana seemed on the surface, everything she offered was rooted in practice and study.
That’s why she could pull inspiration seemingly out of thin air.
And thank you to Bryn for reminding us at our Yogamaya teacher meeting that Dana can tap into that at any moment — because she’s been putting in the work for decades.
However… it wasn’t thin air.
It was years and years of just showing up.
Back then, I didn’t see that yet.
But almost twenty years later, I can see it clearly.
Under the color and the playfulness was someone deeply devoted to being a student — spending months in Vrindavan, practicing, learning, and constantly putting in the time.
And the quote that finally tied all of this together wasn’t something I heard back then.
I only heard it recently.
Dana came back to New York to teach a workshop at Yogamaya. I couldn’t go, but my friend Trevor texted me right after and said:
“Patrick, she said something today that you’re going to love.”
The quote was:
“What some people call magic, others call practice.”
And when I read it, I felt a lightning bolt hit me.
It was exactly what I’ve been thinking for years but could never quite put into words.
The Sutras Have Been Saying the Same Thing All Along
In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali talks a lot about abhyasa — steady, consistent practice over a long period of time.
Nothing flashy. Nothing dramatic. Just the simple act of showing up.
And then later, in Book III, he describes the kinds of shifts that naturally happen when you keep showing up:
More clarity.
A steadier mind.
An intuition that seems to come from nowhere.
An inner calm that doesn’t shake so easily.
From the outside, those things look like magic.
But from the inside, they feel like the natural result of practice.
Patanjali describes them as what happens when the mind becomes more refined, more spacious, more steady.
Which brings me right back to Dana’s quote:
“What some people call magic, others call practice.”
A Few Things to Take Into Your Week
Trust the boring days.
When it comes to yoga, slow and steady wins the race.
Showing up is the hardest part.
Nobody ever regretted going to a yoga class.
Let understanding take time.
Some teachings don’t land for years — and that’s exactly how it works.
Don’t chase magic.
Let practice do what it does.
It’s funny how life circles back around.
The teacher who once intimidated me is now someone whose words feel like they’ve been living inside me all along, just waiting for the right moment to surface.
What some people call magic, others call practice.
See you on the mat,
Patrick
Come Practice With Me — On and Off the Mat
If this whole practice thing hits home, come hang with me next year. Whether you’re craving quiet mornings in the woods or ocean air and big open skies, I’ve got a spot for you.
Tour With Me
🌲 Maine Retreat – June 4–7, 2026 | Yoga & Writing in Nature
🌊 Portugal Retreat – July 5–12, 2026 | Madeira Island
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