By Maya Rajah
Whether you’re new to yoga or a seasoned practitioner, it’s likely that you’ve encountered certain elements of the practice that seem daunting – or perhaps even impossible! Many of us first experience this in our asana practice, when we’re invited to explore postures that seem to demand strength, flexibility and skilful execution that feel beyond us.
As we watch our teachers or fellow practitioners demonstrate these poses in a masterful and almost effortless way, we may find ourselves thinking “I could never do that!” or “maybe in another lifetime!” We often get so caught up in what’s before our eyes that we forget to recognise the hours (and often years!) of hard work and conditioning that precede the full expression of these postures. After all, there’s a reason we refer to yoga as a practice!
Be kind to yourself
So much of the beauty and transformative power of this unique practice lies in its invitation to meet our edge. To challenge our preconceived notions of what we can and can’t do. To stretch and expand the capabilities of not just our bodies, but also our minds and hearts. When we choose to accept this invitation, we embark on a path towards resiliency. Inevitably, this path abounds with setbacks and falls, which quite naturally may feel disheartening at times. However, these challenges are the seeds of our growth. By tending to them with patience, kindness and a genuine desire to keep trying, we begin to establish the roots of a strong, mindful and deeply personal practice.
In this sense, exploring advanced asana can be about a lot more than achieving a bendy body, or any aesthetic form. It can be an opportunity to delve within – first by understanding our fears and limiting beliefs, and then systematically moving beyond them through dedicated practice. This practice requires and encompasses far more than just physical movement. It involves the practice of patience as well as the practice of acceptance.
Recognise your individuality
As we start to learn the mechanics of inversions, deep backbends and arm balances, we may start to develop expectations about how our bodies should look in these poses, or how long it should take us to “get there”. But in order to access the rich internal growth that the practice offers, we must learn to let go of these “should”s. It is so important to understand that because each of us have a completely unique and incomparable body, each of us will practice and express the various poses in a different way.
So many factors – from our bone variation, to the proportions of our body, to the kind of activity or sports we engaged in as kids – shape our practice. Yoga asana (especially the ones we find most challenging!) are not about forcing the body into bizarre shapes. It’s easy to push beyond our limits, but doing so violates the principle of ahimsa (non-violence), which is one of the most foundational pillars of yoga philosophy.
Modify poses to suit you
In order to create a sustainable practice that truly serves us, it is so essential that we embody ahimsa in the way we move. For me, this involves recognising that the postures are ultimately a gateway to a deeper understanding of how our bodies work. Poses and movements that are easy and accessible for someone else may not fit or serve our bodies – and that’s perfectly okay! Encountering such challenges in our practice provides the invaluable opportunity to discover modifications that feel good in our bodies.
This very much applies to more “intimidating” poses such as arm balances and inversions. Nobody gets it on the first try! Instead of forcing your body into what looks like the full expression of the pose – at the risk of burning out your energy or compromising the health of your joints – why not start with modifications that truly feel nourishing for the body?
Set a loving intention
With time and practice, you may even find that your body feels ready to go a little deeper. What’s most important, however, is the intention we bring to these poses. Are we practicing to look a certain way, or are we practicing to feel a certain way? I believe that these poses serve us best when they inspire us to move beyond our comfort zone, while still extending kindness, patience and care towards ourselves. In this way, we harness the connection between our body, mind and heart and move towards greater harmony within ourselves.
