Introduction:
What does the term "yoga" imply? When we look at its etymology, yoga is a noun coming originally from Sanskrit; meaning literally to yoke, to join, or to bring together the parts to meet the whole. Merriam-Webster1 defines yoga as:
capitalized: Yoga is a Hindu theistic philosophy teaching the suppression of all activity of body, mind, and will in order that the self may realize its distinction from them and attain liberation
non-capitalized: yoga is a system of exercises for attaining bodily or mental control and well-being
With respect to those who practice Yoga as a Hindu theistic philosophy, ExTension and Recovery Yoga is based primarily upon a western approach to yoga. As described in these chapters, all of its principles and concepts are based upon established neuromuscular principles and laws, physiology, anatomy, and kinesiology. For our purposes therefore, yoga may be further defined as:
a system of physical and mental exercises done with coordinated breathing, designed to move the body, mind, and spirit toward balance and union
In order to appropriately practice yoga as defined herein, we must recognize that the very structure of human anatomy and its internal composition makes it outright impossible for a human being to be perfectly balanced left-side to right-side, front-to-back; and that the introduction of stress, internally or externally only exacerbates that imbalance.
Because the word yoga is defined as union and balance and because the human body can never be perfectly balanced, then an appropriate yoga practice can only serve to move a person toward balance of body, mind, breath, and spirit.
The operative word of yoga therefore must be "toward:"
 Because a human body can never be perfectly balanced, the operative word of yoga, therefore, must be toward. That is; an appropriate yoga practice can only help a person move toward union or balance.
Accordingly, you don't need to be flexible, or strong, or even ambulatory to do appropriate yoga. An appropriate yoga practice therefore has absolutely nothing to do with being flexible or strong.
In fact, an overly flexible person is as imbalanced as a person who is overly strong or tight. Both can lead to physical (or emotional) distress. In order to do "appropriate" yoga, one just needs to begin the process of moving toward union or balance of flexibility, strength, and endurance. Enhanced physical, emotional, and spiritual health is not yoga's goal, but ultimately develops from an appropriate yoga practice.
Enhanced flexibility, strength, and
endurance are not yoga's goal: Instead, if there were a "goal" of yoga, it would simply be
learning how to pay attention to how the body and mind responds to an appropriate practice.
It Is What It Is:
The term: What Is is defined as "how you are feeling right now, at this moment." What Is is not trying to get your hands to the floor; or trying to do a headstand, or trying to do a backbend, or trying to do any particular yoga exercise.
More importantly, an appropriate yoga practice is not trying to get your body to feel like it may have felt in the past ... or how you want your body to be now or in the future. In fact, right now, at this exact moment, your body is how it should be. If you were supposed to be different at this exact moment; you would already be there.
Semantics notwithstanding, an appropriate yoga practice, therefore, is not about trying; it is about non-aggressively doing.2 My more spiritual colleagues might even prefer the concept, "an appropriate yoga practice is not about trying; it is about being.3
 Probably for us as Westerners, the most difficult aspect of an appropriate yoga practice is learning how to give up "trying or forcing," but instead learning how to observe and appreciate our body as it actually is ... at this very moment. This is especially true if you perceive yourself as being "tight" or "out of shape" because of lethargy, or because you are chronically ill or injured.
 Acknowledging your "place of perfection" is at the very foundation of an appropriate yoga practice. In other words, an appropriate yoga practice teaches you how to pay attention to how your body is feeling and performing right now at this moment ; not by trying to get your body to feel like it did a few years ago or even yesterday (which is living in the past). Or how you might wish might or want your body to feel or to perform (which is living in the future). Finally, an appropriate yoga practice is certainly not about giving up and doing nothing. It's learning how to do less in order to get more.
Your Place of Perfection:
As you initiate your daily yoga practice and as you pay attention to your body as it is right now; from your current "place of perfection," your body becomes receptive to positive change; when it is not forced.
Follow me through here: If you were already stronger, or more flexible, or healthier; you would already be there. Trying to get stronger or more flexible is forcing, and by definition, forcing moves you away from the "balance and union" of yoga.
Therefore, yoga poses when forced or aggressively practiced might be good exercise, and exercise definitely has its advantages; but yoga, when appropriately practiced, is an altogether different modality when it moves the body, mind, and spirit towards balance and union.
Two Most Important Questions
a Yoga Practitioner or Yoga Teacher Can Ask :
I'm constantly asked: "What does yoga do?" My response usually takes people back when I say: "Yoga doesn't do anything."
As I stated above, I believe yoga has nothing to do with trying to achieve flexibility, strength, or for that matter, endurance. That being said, by using yoga as an appropriate tool, your body begins to move toward balance and union, and an integration begins to occur that transcends the physical body: You begin to experience increased flexibility, strength, and endurance ... physically, mentally, and emotionally.
The following chapter on Pain Management presents the logic and mechanics that differentiate an appropriate yoga practice from all other forms of exercise. That being said, in order to circumvent injury or even the feeling of, “I can’t do that,” there are two fundamental questions that all yoga practitioners and teachers ought to ask themselves:
(1) What is yoga? and (2) How does it feel?
_____________________
1Merriam-Webster's Online Collegiate Dictionary
2Thanks to Mathew J. Taylor, MPT, RYT, for his generous feedback to this website (Used with permission):
"Another helpful description is that the final stage of an asana (the 'picture' in the book) is achieved through natural mini-stages in a sequence that progresses the patient from midline stability distally, restoring stability and motor sequencing to address both primary and secondary impairments. Each mini-stage can present a temporary disequilibrium by deviating the position of the center of gravity relative to midline or the base of support. When the mini-stage is mastered through integration of the equilibrium and righting responses as a whole, the asana proceeds along the continuum, generally from the core, proximal to distal toward the full postural pattern with symmetry along the midline, all key components of functional movement."
(See Taylor, Matthew, Yoga Therapeutics in Neurologic Physical Therapy: An Ancient Practice in a 21st Century Setting" Neurology Report, Jun 2001). Also refer to Mathew Taylor's website www.yogatherapy.com for a wealth of valuable information on yoga and bodywork.
3Thanks to Terri Corral's feedback (Used with permission):
"In the chapter titled Toward you state that "an appropriate yoga practice is not about trying, but rather doing." It is my belief that an appropriate yoga practice is more about being. Being in the moment, being present, is what yoga is about. Accepting ourselves as perfect, as we are at the moment, any moment, is a difficult concept to express and communicate clearly. We are TRULY limited by the words we speak!! But this acceptance is an important concept. We each have our limitations. But through our yogic practice we reach our limits and experience who we are. As we stretch past our limits, just a little, we have an opportunity to flex and expand, strengthening who we are physically, emotionally and spiritually."
Go to the next chapter: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Yoga
|
