I wrote about compression a few posts back. In the post I used pictures of Mr. Bones to help explain how sometimes an asana might not work for you in trying to do it the way you might see it pictured in Yoga Journal or on a yoga website. It could be that your bones actually will connect before you can get that “perfect” pose. But often what happens is the way you are doing a pose is perfect for you, you don’t have to look like the magazine. Yoga magazines are just like fashion magazines, they pick the models that will look good doing the poses just like they pick the models that will look good wearing the clothes. The people in the pictures are not DOING yoga, they are POSING for a PICTURE of a yoga pose. What they are doing is TOTALLY different from what you are doing. What you are doing is a practice in order for you to feel better. So you want to do your asana in a way that will achieve that.
In other words, the idea is not to “get into a pose” the idea is to move into the pose, then BE in that pose. Sense what your body is like in that pose. Notice your breath in that pose. Notice your emotions in that pose. Notice your mind in that pose. Could be that you notice pain somewhere, then you are to adjust your body so you are more comfortable. If your breath is labored, perhaps you need to ease off? Perhaps not, it depends upon the yoga you are doing . . . but notice your breath. Some postures bring up certain emotions. Take note of that. It is ok to let them happen. If you want and you feel safe let whatever comes up, come up and out. But again, you do what you want to do and you do what you feel comfortable doing. And, notice your mind, your thoughts . . . if you are able to let your mind wander perhaps you need to move deeper into the pose so you are more focused on your breath and body.
A lot depends on the type of yoga you are doing. A lot depends on what the purpose of the pose is. But the idea of asana in most types of yoga is to BE in the pose. Take notice of the pose and all that is happening with you and your body at that moment. Yoga is just like many things . . . unless you are practicing it for many, many, many hours a day you are better off doing it in your own body’s way then trying to achieve things you see in magazines like Yoga Journal and in the books written by yogis that practice for hours at a time and have been practicing for years.
Again it depends on what type of yoga you are practice, but many types, styles, and teachers realize it is more important to protect the body you have and move into a posture as your body will do the pose, than to try to achieve that “perfect” pose. If you do the twists, the back bends, the forward bends, the balance poses, and all the other types to the best of your ability you will feel better. If you do your practice mindfully you will feel better.
What is your most comfortable yoga pose?
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