Summary of Talk by François Lacerte, Yoga Teacher and Founder of Baba Yoga (Canada), at the Indo-American World Yoga Conference, 2024

At the Indo-American World Yoga Conference, 2024, François Lacerte, yoga teacher and founder of Baba Yoga in Canada, offered a quiet yet profound reflection on the role of humility in yoga. His words reminded participants that yoga is not merely a set of postures or a personal achievement, but a way of living with openness, reverence, and respect for both nature and human connection.

Cultivating Humility on the Mat

François began with a striking metaphor: “Words are like food—they need time to digest.”

He used this image to emphasize that yoga cannot be rushed or consumed in haste. Just as food nourishes us when digested slowly, wisdom requires patience to integrate.

The mat, he explained, is the perfect place to cultivate humility. Every time a practitioner steps into asana, pranayama, or meditation, they walk in the footsteps of countless ancestors who devoted their lives to discipline and discovery. Remembering this lineage invites us to approach our practice not with pride, but with gratitude and humility.

Becoming a Student Again

François also reminded yoga teachers that wisdom is never something to “own.” Teaching is not about displaying knowledge, but about serving others while remaining open ourselves.

Stepping off the mat, we must once again embrace the role of student, because life is always offering lessons. For François, two great teachers are always present: nature and other human beings.

Nature as the Teacher of Equanimity

Nature, François reflected, offers a lesson in harmony and balance. A river does not resist its current. A tree does not question its growth. The seasons shift without struggle. Everything follows its own nature.

Humans, however, often resist who we truly are. We struggle against change, deny our limitations, and chase after illusions of control. By observing nature with humility, we can learn acceptance, patience, and equanimity—the qualities that yoga seeks to awaken within us.

Other Humans as Mirrors

The second great teacher, François noted, is other people. Every encounter—whether with friends, family, colleagues, or strangers—becomes a mirror that reflects where we are in our practice.

The way we react to kindness, criticism, or challenge shows us what is unresolved within. If we are humble enough to recognize it, every human being we meet can become a teacher, revealing lessons about our patience, compassion, and capacity for growth.

Wisdom Beyond Words

François closed his talk with a gentle reminder: true yoga is not about collecting knowledge or perfecting techniques. It is about living wisdom—softening our resistance, remaining open to learning, and carrying humility into every moment.

His reflection was short, simple, and deeply resonant. The essence of yoga, he suggested, is available everywhere: in the quiet of practice, in the movement of nature, and in the lessons mirrored through others.

When we walk the path with humility, wisdom ceases to be something distant—it becomes a living presence in our daily lives.

Namaste.

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