I Can Do Fancy Yoga Poses; I Have No Problems

Posted by on Aug 9, 2010 in Yoga | 0 comments

Since the age of 16, I have been practicing challenging yoga poses, and my life has been devoid of problems ever since.  I have never been poor, issued a parking ticket, dumped on my ass by someone I loved, or woken up with a massive zit on my nose.  I am unfamiliar with backstabbing co-workers, road rage, and the ire that Sarah Palin inspires in so many of my friends.
What’s the big deal you guys?  If you can do fancy yoga poses, she won’t bother you at all.  In fact, you might think she’s kind of charming.  Maybe even a savant . . .  

Do you believe me?  Of course not!  (A savant?  Seriously, people . . . Give me a bit more credit).

Intricate yoga poses are fun, require focus, and cultivate great flexibility and strength; however, they do little to improve the quality of our lives.  They cannot stave off illness or hardship, and the intrinsic value of, say, hanumanasana (shown above) is no greater than that of sivasana (below).

So, why bother?

Challenging yoga poses are useful because they allow yogis to practice being in challenging life moments (however small and controlled, as they are on a yoga mat) with patience, awareness, and compassion.  Unfortunately, it’s easy to be seduced into thinking that the flashy pose is the goal.  Don’t be fooled, friends!

The poses (all of them) serve one purpose: to prepare the body for meditation and thus, samadhi, the superconscious state and eighth and final “limb” of the yogic path.  Instead of feeling defeated because we can’t touch our toes or balance on our hands (check out the near faceplant below), we should see these “experiments” as blessings.

Rather than curse tight hamstrings, what if we viewed them as a fond nod to our active lifestyles, spent running, cycling, and simply living in motion?  What if faulty balance became a luxurious opportunity to recommit to quieting the mind?  And, gravity defying arm balances helped us to look fear and physics in the face- repeatedly- and say, “Yes, I see you, but I am going to try anyway.”

What advanced asanas are you working with right now?  Why are they challenging?  And, how can this challenge help you elsewhere in life?  

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