Asana practice is the gateway to a yoga lifestyle. Like most people, I was lured to yoga for the potential positive results my body would reap. I wanted to look like those long, ballerina-esque models on the cover of Yoga Journal. Also like most people, since I had really good teachers along my path, I quickly found out there was something more than just stretching and strengthening my body.
Because yoga is the connection between the body and the mind, starting with the poses was a great way to introduce me to the lifestyle. Asana defined is a comfortable seat and using the poses should be finding comfort in being.
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I really like thinking of the asanas as a metaphor for life: we try and stay calm, balanced and centered on the mat when we’re twisted and turned around so it’s important to take that lesson away. We need to take our egos and competition off of the mat- what’s best for my body is not best for the lady next to me. Because she lifts her leg over her head doesn’t mean that I need to- instead, I try to be loving and gracious to my body on the mat taking special love and concern for areas that are pulled or knotted up. After time and practice I’ll find more space either in that tightness or somewhere else. If I try and force myself into someone else’s mold, I won’t be able to find my own growth.
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Right now I’m really challenging myself by trying to take my ego off of the mat. I know there are some poses where I can get to the most physically difficult variations but I’m trying to find a more simple modification so that I can find length, space and flexibility in my joints. Most times I have to close my eyes when I do this because the competitive little voice inside of me might get the best of my intentions and I might try to copy someone on either side of me who is reaching gracefully to the fullest expression of the pose for him or her. I’ve been thinking about acceptance and being gracious for the limits that I have. I also try to think about how I’m not attached to the outcome of the pose or better said, the expression of the pose doesn’t define me. When I’m able to achieve this, I feel really full, graceful and beautiful- a much different feeling than when I went to my first Bikram class and I was reprimanded because my head wasn’t close enough to my knees. When I go into a more “simple” modification, I find that I have to surrender more to the pose and give myself permission to feel good without pushing to my physical limits. The book that helped me find a diet that was right for me also taught me about minimal effective doses for weight training- and I’ve applied it to my asana practice. Sure, I could push and push and push each pose, seven days a week but that might make me start to dread going to the mat or possible cause an injury. If I take things a little slower and listen to my body, by the commitment and regularity of the practice will get me stronger.
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Having a baby really changed my asana practice. Up until the day before I had Maksim I practiced at least four times a week at about 45 minutes a session. I was in decent physical shape. When Maks was very little I was able to sneak in three to four days a week but now that he’s mobile and Todd and I are both students and we work full time (plus) my asana practice has suffered. To get back to it, I need to find the time without cutting into my time with my fellas. Similar to the idea of the minimal effective dose, if I make an unrealistic commitment to my asana practice I’m only setting myself up for failure. I want to make the commitment for the next month to find one other day each week along with my yoga class at YogaLIfe for my asana practice. If I can get more than that, great but I want to commit at least two sessions a week.
Comments
LOVE this.