The progress isn't recorded physically. There is no physical goal in a yoga class. If there is, chances are it's not actually a yoga class but just an exercise class that uses yoga postures. Not that there's anything wrong with that but here's the difference:
Through cultivation of self-awareness, the practioner becomes more attuned to his or her specific needs in every moment. This is a skill that can be cultivated. In this attitude, something like diet needs no doctrine because if you are truly listening to yourself, you will absolutely give yourself the amount and type of fuel you need. There is no book or process to follow. When people (myself included) are calm and centered, they are less likely to overeat and less likely to eat things that are destructive. So is a piece of chocolate cake destructive? Depends on if it is being eaten out of self-care or self-contempt. Its healing properties are dependent on the situation. All food is like this actually. If you are stressed out and going a million miles a minute and can't feel grounded (this quality is vata see: ayurveda), it would be a terrible idea to eat a food that is cool and dry (vata): crackers, salad, etc. Whereas if you are feeling sluggish (kapha), salad may be a great choice. Understanding how to be present with every decision as each decision arises is key. There is no objective nutritional truth. Except when things aren't food, aren't born of earth and water and sunlight. I would probably make an exception there and go ahead and say don't eat that.
It is this way with exercise as well. Most health issues are caused by stress. So again, the decision and awareness must be made. Is the decision to exercise being made out of love or fear? In any given moment, what is really needed? Some days more vigorous exercise, some days not. But it's through honing the inner compass that the decision can be made. Again, if you are already frantic, frantic exercise may make you more frantic. Balance is always what ultimately maintains health. And here what I've noticed in myself and others is that exercise and the physical benefit of yoga is a side effect rather than a goal. When I am centered and spacious (and yoga gives me the technology to do this) I feel relaxed and able to enjoy what is surrounding me. I'm more likely to use my energy effectively and this includes exercising if that's what is needed. So rather than sitting on the couch saying "I really should exercise" it's more like, "Wow I'm glad to be alive, getting my heart pumping by taking a walk or a jog sounds really great right now." Also, incidentally a nice slow yoga practice makes running feel effortless.
This all may seem really subtle but this is the true difference between knowing and trusting yourself and not. Intrinsic knowledge vs. extrinsic. Extrinsic is easier because will is difficult to cultivate. I attended public school and on the things we could cheat on, we never learned anything. But on the writing projects or art projects, it couldn't be faked, we either tried and it showed or we didn't. And I still remember those projects.
People are constantly telling us what to eat and what to do and what to believe. But don't you think ultimately, even though it may be harder getting there, that if your inner compass is utterly unshakeable that you might save a bunch of time searching? Yoga is not a religion but it is a set of experimental guidelines. It's basically set up to be like, "Hey, this has worked for us for like 5000 years, maybe it will for you or maybe not." The Yamas and Niyamas are two of the eight branches of ashtanga yoga (physical postures make up just one of the branches) and they translate into 'restraints' and 'observances'. It's lifestyle guidelines that resemble the 10 commandments in places. Here's the thing though. Ten commandments say, "Don't lie or you'll go to hell." Yamas would say, "Well, you can lie if you want to, but it will probably use up a lot of your energy covering up for the lie. Try it and find out for yourself." In yoga the technology constantly brings the practitioner back to connection with self and the world and supports a clear, easy flow of life. Yamas and Niyamas are guidelines to help support that connection. In this end I would also say that it's more like "Original Separation" rather than "Original Sin". We get separated from our true selves by the illusion of single moment awareness, i.e. time. But I'll write another article about this later.
So here is my point. All these little examples may seem subtle but in the bigger picture all of these yoga practices are experiements about life. And in life, no circumstance on the 'outside' needs to change in order for things to be 'better'. The concept that anything--any person, any circumstance--is separate from self, is a total illusion. 'Self' itself is a total illusion.
As change happens inside, change happens outside. Just watch, you'll see.
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