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| Ananta, the king of the Nāgas |
As the teacher training get
a little bit more in depth and much more demanding. I would like to present
some fact I have learnt here as well. So the reader can take something out of
here, despite any original intention you have had at the beginning of reading
this.
Today, I’d like to focus on
the essential qualities of asana practice. For some of us, it might be
surprising that when they say yoga, they don’t mean “working out”. However, as
our dear Alyson always points out, yoga is much more “work in” than a “work
out”. Asana, the physical pose, is just a fraction of what yoga has to
say. Yogis practice asanas to prepare
themselves for further adventure into their inner ashram/center.
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| Alyson measuring Rizelle's Tadasana |
Asana has two basic
requirements/qualities given by Patañjali in his Yoga Sūtras. First is called
Sthira and represents consciousness, alertness, being present, firm, and
stable. The second is Sukha, which means being relaxed, comfortable, at ease,
and without pain or agitation. Both of
those qualities are described in ancient Hindu story of Ananta, the king of the
Nāgas, who carries the world on is head. Therefore, asana is a combination
being firm and stable in the pose, but at the same time comfortable and without
any pain. We can be aware and present in asana through the breath; it is the
breath through we can truly link our mind with our body[1].
I can’t wait to be able to
be in and asana, but at the same time to be light as a feather. Once you get in
the detail of each asana, even Tadasana (mountain pose) will hurt you! There is
so many little things that one wouldn’t even realize till s/he started studying
to be a yoga teacher.
[1] Kraftsow, G. Yoga For Wellness: Healing With The Timeless Teachings Of
Viniyoga. New York: Penguin Putnam.
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