At the risk of sounding like the literature teacher that I once was, the subject of this week's blog is the famous advice given my the oracle at Delphi, "Know thyself." Whether you are named Oedipus and lived back in antiquity, or are a resident of Southern California in the 21st century--knowing yourself remains essential.
We all bring unique and individual experiences into the Group X room. Some of us have been practicing yoga for years, even decades. Some of us have never attempted a single pose when we try yoga for the first time as a Group X offering. Chances are, we've been doing asanas for years, without even knowing that those position were yoga poses; many poses come to us naturally. Check out this little yogi doing his version of seated, cross-legged pose, Sukhasana.
And then, let's be realistic. There are some "givens" about each of our bodies that we have can't control. Some of us have body types that are limber and stretch easily. Some of us have tightly bunched muscles that resist being stretched. And then, there is the basic skeletal structure that might restrict us in some of our movements. For example, if the head of your femur (the part that attaches into your hip socket) is knobby, short of shaving those knobs away or dislocating your hips, you will never get your legs into a complete "split" with your perineum on the floor in an advanced pose such as Hanumanasana.
Unless you are contemplating a complete replacement of all your joints, ligaments, and muscle groups--the body that you live in is the body that you've got for your entire life. Honor that body; it's with you for your life's journey, every single minute. If your muscles are limber and lithe (and you know who you are), celebrate your body's ability to stretch and move into the fullest expression of a pose. But don't feel too smug--you have a bit of an unearned advantage. If your body resists when you are practicing, respect that "pull" on your muscles and back off a bit. Don't get impatient with yourself or compare your pose to others. Your muscles need more time to relax, to get warm, to release--and that's a good thing. Listen to what you know you are capable of doing. Know yourself.
There is an ongoing discussion within the yoga community whether or not some glossy publications should have covers of models doing poses that are advanced or next-to-impossible for most practitioners. Gymnasts, professional dancers, and contortionists doing yoga poses can make our discipline seem difficult and only for the most flexible of us. Some of the poses are downright silly. That's hardly a true picture of what yoga is about. Yoga is not the pose; yoga is not a picture. Never confuse the outward look of an asana or pose with "doing yoga." Yoga is self-awareness and centeredness; yoga is about knowing yourself and what your body needs. Bring self-assurance with you to your next class--you are the best judge of what your body can do and what it needs.
Now, you're practicing yoga!
Namaste,
Nancy
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