In my teaching career
I have heard students ask, and in my own practice I found myself asking: “Why
can’t I do [fill in the name of pose here]?”
Usually the answer (at least mine do) strays into technical sounding pseudo-anatomy
speak “The medial rotation of the kneecap spiral is impeding the colloidal
suspension of the hyoid bone…”
Speaking only from my own practice (I’ll spare you the
hyperlink to my Nemesis posts, find ‘em if you want to read ‘em), I have given
this answer to myself:
Q: Why can’t I do Urdhva Dhaurasana?
A: Well [all answers sound more authoritative when they
begin with ‘Well…”] the external rotation coupled with the extension of the
psoas is impeded by……”
That may be all well and true, and it may not make any
sense, but it is much easier to grasp than the REAL answer.
Because the real answer is also a question:
“Why do you feel that you are not doing the pose correctly
right now? Because you are, you know.”
Allow me to play the Patañjali card again:
“Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.”
(I.2) For a practice to be called ‘yoga’
it must be focused on the mind, its fluctuations, and the methods to cause
their cessation.
The physical expression of the pose is relatively unimportant
(excepting that it does not cause injury “The suffering that is yet to come is
to be avoided” II.16); it is the mental state in the pose which defines
success: “Postures should embody steadiness and ease” (II.46). This describes mental, not physical states,
but if there is not steadiness and ease in the physical state, that is a sign
that there is not steadiness and ease in the mental state.
Here comes the tricky part.
Yes, physical and mental are related.
Yes physical state is easier (more tangible) to grasp than mental state.
So, do we help the student (and ourselves) MORE by focusing on the physical or
the mental?
From my own direct experience, focusing on the mental leads
to infinitely more sustained benefit and growth than does focusing on the physical.
My practice for many, many years focused around Urdhva
Dhanurasana. First being very frustrated
(putting it in “safe harbor” terms) at not being able to match my thought of
what the pose should be, then to consciously trying to block the pose out and
do it as a matter of course (ie. “Ok, let’s get through this and move
on.”)
When my practice began to evolve away from the strongly rajasic
Ashtanga System, which includes this pose, I had to confront my attitude toward
this pose. “Why can’t I do this
pose?” Because my ego is telling me I
have to do it and I am pushing myself to the point of constant injury to
satisfy my ego.
Practicing this pose is causing fluctuations in the mind.
Ego is causing fluctuations in the mind.
Yoga is the cessation of fluctuations of the mind.
Therefore, practicing this pose (for me) is not practicing
yoga.
That is a hard effing pill to swallow. But swallow it we
must, if we are practicing yoga.
At some point in our practice, we need to apply this level
of analytics to what we are doing.
Self-analysis is actually more ‘yoga’ than asana (see again I.2).
The next time you find yourself (or your students, if
applicable) asking why then ‘can’t’ do something, avoid the easy out of
focusing on the physical and turn the focus inward. Assure them (as long as
they are not leading toward injury) that they ARE doing the pose. The absolute correct version which is right
for them at that specific time.
You’ll be both scared and amazed at what you will find.
And you will continue to define the practice which is
correct for you rather than adapt to the ideals of someone else.
“Full effort is full victory.” ~MKG
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