You will often hear yoga teachers say in class that you should “take care of your body” or “listen to your body.” I think this is more or less pretty good advice. But all too often, I think this advice is taken by students as license to wimp out. Taking care of your body or listening to your body does not mean “come out of the pose the instant you feel any discomfort.” In fact, my own personal philosophy with respect to discomfort and pain in yoga is “push your edge, and then some.” If we don’t push or test our edge in yoga, our practice becomes stagnant, as will our bodies and our minds. This is not yoga, in my book. This is something like guided relaxation, and, unfortunately, this is what is being called yoga in a lot of places today. (more…)
Filed under: Digital Asana Project
This transition is definitely fun, albeit a bit scary the first few times. My back is still not open enough to do the drop-back from Salamba Sirsana (Headstand) into Viparita Dandasana very smoothly, but I hope that this video gives you a general idea of what it’s supposed to look like.
First, I come into traditional Headstand (and almost wipe out). Then, I start to bend my knees and take my feet towards the floor. As I do this, I also lift my head entirely off the floor and start to push my chest towards the opposite wall. This allows me (at least in theory) to take a little more of a back bend and to get my feet even closer to the floor. Basically, I try to continue this movement — head off the floor, chest forward, feet down — until I can’t hold it any more and I fall over to the mat. Dropping back here is of course the scary part; but I try to remind myself that the floor is pretty darn stable, and it isn’t going anywhere. So as long as I don’t do anything crazy like panic and flail about, my feet will hit the floor eventually, and everything will be fine. Once my feet hit the mat, I walk them in a little closer towards my head and take Viparita Dandasana for a breath or two. The head is entirely off the ground here, and the gaze is moving progressively toward the hands while the chest continues to extend in the opposite direction away from my feet. Finally, I plant my hands and come into Urdvha Dhanurasana (aka Full Wheel). I finish off the sequence by coming down to the mat slowly and taking my knees into my chest, releasing the lower back. Whew! Repeat two to three times if so inclined.
Disclaimer: I am not a certified yoga instructor, and the ideas and opinions expressed here are not intended to be formal instruction on yoga poses. If you plan to start up a yoga practice, or if you have one and plan to do any of the yoga poses described in this blog, please seek out an experienced, living, breathing yoga teacher to guide you with hands-on instruction.
When I first started doing yoga in 2002, I practiced typically two or three times a week, for an hour and a half each time. Between driving to and from the studio, showering, etc., this was a considerable level of dedication for me, and I certainly thought of myself at the time as someone who took yoga seriously and who practiced regularly. Now, however, if I practice any less than five times a week, I feel as if I’ve fallen off the wagon and that something has gone badly awry. Certainly, there are advantages to even practicing yoga just once every week or two, but one’s practice — and one’s life, I claim — can change dramatically when yoga becomes a cornerstone of one’s daily routine. (more…)
