Double Vision | Seeing Clearly in Gemini Season

Dualism vs. Non-dualism: The Lost Art of Nuance

Embracing the dual nature of Gemini, we explore two profound philosophical perspectives: dualism—the distinction between Purusha (pure awareness) and Prakriti (Nature)—and non-dualism, which points to a singular, unified reality. At first glance, this contrast may seem like just another binary, but it invites a deeper realization: two truths can coexist.

Through our “Gemin-eyes,” our double vision offers clarity. The ability to see both sides and move between them may appear inconsistent, unreliable, or even two-faced. But just beneath that surface lies the wisdom of nuance—the beauty found in life's gray areas.

Like a pendulum that swings from one side to the other before settling in the center, our understanding deepens when we move beyond black-and-white thinking. In a world dominated by clickbait headlines and the reductive either/or mentality of social media, it is in this center—in the space of both/and—that true clarity and lasting stability reside.

The Social Season (aka Gemini Season Workshops & Community Events)

Because Geminis so smoothly adapt to a variety of situations, they're one of the most social signs of the zodiac. Like Geminis, this season's workshops and community events are lively, witty, adventurous, and outgoing:

• 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Info Session: Dive deeper into philosophical concepts like dualism and non-dualism, expand your community of like-minded yoga lovers, and build your toolkit for adapting to change like a true Gemini! Join the program's manager, Cindy Godell, for a free Q&A and get $500 off with early bird registration on Thursday, May 22 at 6pm in Echo Park. Save My Spot >>
• AFFINITY | AAPI Heritage Month FLOW: ODD Affinity is a program created to elevate diverse voices and provide a safe space for students from historically marginalized communities to connect, reflect, and grow together. Not only was yoga philosophy born from the minds of this community, but their experience in the world often depends on the ability to adapt and thrive through adversity and change. Join Mel Mah for this pay-what-you-can class on Thursday, May 29 at 7:15pm in Eagle Rock. Save My Spot >>
• Gemini Season Sound Bath: Tune into the duality of Gemini with a sound bath that harmonizes mind and body, inviting clarity, curiosity, and cosmic connection through vibration and breath. Join Dylan Wallace on Sunday, June 1 at 7:30pm in East Hollywood. Save My Spot >>
• Kids Yoga, Family Style: Embracing the playful and adventurous side of Geminis, we're inviting the whole family to Kids Yoga for a bring-your-family-to-class day! Join Caroline Codd on Sunday, June 8 at 1:30pm in Eagle Rock for 75 minutes of mixing and mingling with other families, and instruction through music, games, visualization, breathing, meditation, and accessible yoga postures designed to give kiddos mindful tools as they develop and to bond with loved ones through the playful foundation of yoga. Save My Spot >>
• Donation-Based, Co-Led Pride Classes: Coming Soon!

Move over Brat Summer, this year it's MAT Summer (aka Summer Specials)

• Seeking clarity amidst the chaos but can't commit to a membership because you're only in LA for the summer? These specials are for you, grads, and anyone else summering in the city. Give or get the gift of a Mat Summer 💚😎🌴 Save $108 on a flexible-use 12-class pack and practice once a week or save $50 on 2 months of unlimited yoga, fitness, and membership perks without the commitment! Shop The Specials >>

Playlist of the Season: Double Vision

A playlist for the social butterfly, whether or not you're a Gemini, Double Vision will have you bouncing around the room with a bestie and shouting "twinsies" as you strike the perfect complimentary poses. All vibes, no filter.

Find a Gem in our Gemini Playlist

Asana of the Season: Camatkarasana (Wild Thing)

Here's a Quick Guide to Getting into Wild Thing:

• Start in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog).
• Bring your weight into your right hand and roll onto the outer edge of your right foot like Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose).
• Inhale and lift your hips with buoyancy. Stay strong in your right hand, making a clawing action with the fingers. Keep the head of the right arm bone back. Exhale and step your left foot back and place your toes on the floor with your knee partially bent.
• Curl back through your upper back to create a sweeping action of the shoulder blades into the back of the rib cage.
• Inhale and lift your hips higher until you curl more into a backbend with your right foot solid on the ground.
• Keep breathing and curl your head back, extending your left arm from your heart, expressing your power and freedom.
• Hold for 5-10 breaths, return to Down Dog and repeat on the other side.

And the benefits of this liberating posture:

Class of the Season: Co-Led

What better way to explore the dance of duality—and the harmony that can arise between seemingly opposing forces—than by attending a co-led yoga class? For special events, like our donation-based Pride classes, we love pairing up teachers to represent unity, collaboration, and the beauty of balance. These co-teach experiences celebrate the richness of perspective: one teacher might bring the heat with a high-energy sequence and a bumping playlist, while the other offers grounding calm with soothing music and a slower, more introspective flow. Rather than clashing, these contrasting styles complement one another, creating a multidimensional practice that reflects the full spectrum of yoga—and of us.

Stay tuned for a dynamic duo takeover this Pride Month, where duality meets unity on the mat.

Sutra of the Season 

Yoga Sutra 2.23 speaks to the profound relationship between the subject (Purusha, the seer) and the object (Prakriti, the seen), suggesting that it’s through their interaction that we come to know the true nature of both. This mirrors the essence of Gemini season—a time marked by curiosity, conversation, and the interplay of dual perspectives. Like the twins of the zodiac, we’re invited to explore both sides of any experience: light and shadow, movement and stillness, intellect and intuition. But does this dual perspective offer the whole truth, or simply two halves of a greater whole? Sutra 2.23 nudges us to look deeper—beyond contrast—toward the unity that underlies all relationships. In the space between knower and known, thinker and thought, twin and twin, something more expansive is revealed: the awareness that holds them both.