How much of YOGA is actually about the poses? It seems like most (or even all of it) if your knowledge of the practice is limited to a contemporary Western perspective. Many a sticky mat is unrolled with the intention of bending and stretching, twisting and folding the body into more and more elaborate displays of physical prowess with a mere toleration of a few snippets of philosophical pep-talk at the beginning and/or end of practice. No doubt, the asana are attractive, even seductive. They evoke a kind of yoga-lust because they feel so good, and that keeps us coming back for more and more. They teach us about perseverance and humility. They give us confidence as well as fitness. They highlight the extraordinary capabilities of the human body (how lucky we are to have one!). And they're fun!
Clearly the asana are valuable. But let's return to the question at hand -- how much of yoga is actually about the poses? -- and the honest answer is not much. Even a brief glimpse into yogic material beyond a typical studio class makes this apparent. The most obvious indicator of that is found in yoga expositions (first oral, then written) which are widely accepted to be at least (and some likely more than) 5,000 years old. However, the first texts to thoroughly discuss asana are merely 500 years old (i.e. Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Siva Samhita, and Gheranda Samhita), and they are limited to only a couple dozen postures, very few of which we would recognize today. Most of what we do practice today -- the Sun Salutes and the Warriors and the Half-Bound-This and the One-Legged-That have existed for less than a century (and we can primarily thank Sri Krishnamacharya, K. Pattabhi Jois, and Guruji Iyengar for them). In fact, the text that many practitioners consider to be the most revered and foundational for the study and practice of yoga, Patanjali's Yoga Sutra (circa +/- 500C.E.), includes just a single (though powerful!) comment regarding yoga-postures:
A pose should be steady and comfortable.
In its entirety, the Sutra contains 196 aphorisms which define and outline a complete practice meant to culminate in absolute liberation from the gross sufferings of the human condition, and everything you need to know about what to do with your body is conveyed through simply stating that any position is suitable if it is sthira (firm and stable) and sukha (easy and comfortable).
Why, then, is so much emphasis placed on the poses? And, if not the poses, then what is it all about? To answer that, we need a deeper understanding of the Yoga Sutra in general (hint: read the previous paragraph again), and more specifically Sutra II.29 (which first introduces the idea of "asanam" but doesn't explain it) and II.46 (which defines it, as we've just seen). And I am going to save the discussion of both of them for another post. In the meantime, I am going to strongly encourage you to invest in a copy (or, even better, two different copies for comparison's sake) of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra as well as the Bhagavad Gita. A serious practice is dependent upon a knowledge of and respect toward both.
And, because the asana are in fact important and are a legitimate focus in which we are currently invested, below is another modified version of the sequence we will follow when we meet for class on October 5. It includes all of the poses we have learned to this point, and omits several which are still to come.
The "Sort've Week Fourteen" Sequence Part 2:
Opening meditation and Warm-up. Consider giving yourself time for a brief (5 minutes) warm-up which can include Cat/Cow variations, Surya Namaskar variations, and/or poses which specifically target the areas which you know are inhibiting your Sirsasana. Or start immediately with Sirsasana.
Salamba Sirsasana I, 3-5 minutes
Trikonasana, 30-60 seconds
Parivrtta Trikonasana, 30-60 seconds
Parsvakonasana, 30-60 seconds
Parivrtta Parsvakonasana, 30-60 seconds
Virabhadrasana I, II, & III, 30-60 seconds each
Ardha Chandrasana, 30-60 seconds
Parsvottanasana, 30-60 seconds
Prasarita Padottanasana I & II, 30-60 seconds
Padangusthasana, 30-60 seconds
Padahastasana, 30-60 seconds
Uttanasana, 30-60 seconds
Parighasana, 30-60 seconds
Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (UPPs), 3-5 breaths per stage, 3-5 reps.
Paripurna Navasana, 30-60 seconds
Ardha Navasana, 15-30 seconds
Salamba Sarvangasana I, 5-7 minutes
Halasana, 1-5 minutes
Karnapidasana, 30-60 seconds
*Supta Konasana, 30-60 seconds
*Parsva Halasana, 30-60 seconds
Ekapada Sarvangasana, 30-60 seconds
Jathara Parivartanasana, 30-60 seconds
Ujjayi Pranayama with inhalation retention in Savasana, 5-15 minutes
Take a look at each of these poses before practice, *particularly the new ones*. Make note of their Sanskrit and English names, their rating (printed just next to the name), the instructions (including how long he recommends holding each one), and their effects. What stands out? What is interesting? or unclear? or surprising? Come to class with questions and comments.
"[W]hatever asana is performed, it should be done with a feeling of firmness, steadiness, and endurance in the body; goodwill in the intelligence of the head, and awareness and delight in the intelligence of the heart. This is how each asana should be understood, practiced and experienced. Performance of the asana should be nourishing and illuminative" (Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Iyengar, 149)
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