It’s about more than the toothbrush

kim on 1:31 pm March 1st, 2010 / Be the first to comment! »

Asana means pose or posture — another translation is “steady seat.” We mess around in class with these shapes mainly because we want to stay healthy and fit, and elastic and strong, for as long as possible.

The point of asana is not to perfect the poses — that’s impossible anyway, because all bodies are situated just a little differently and will not look the same on “completion” of the shape.

The point is to move more energy through the body, more precisely and with longer-lasting effects. So you can do asana anywhere, really, when you are typing, walking or getting up in the morning. Any movement evolves into asana when you become aware of the movement, when you are so deeply engrossed that you can watch your body both relax and form into the movement (reaching for the toothbrush) instead of thinking of something else (I’m hungry) as it happens.

To be sure, yoga class is a good way to start. As teachers, our job is to guide you into heightened awareness of yourself, and the body you have that takes up space. From there, you can become as aware as you want, anywhere, in such a way that you start to release patterns of tension (e.g., thinking, “Omg, I have a lot to do today” as you scrub you body with soap in the shower) and open to a new state of relaxed alertness. It’s pretty sweet when you “arrive” at that place.