Guest guest Posted August 11, 2000 Report Share Posted August 11, 2000 It is the misconception of flexibility I would like to address. <br><br>Yoga is not about the external façade and Yoga is not flexibility and strength, those are merely side effects to be ignored like siddhis.<br><br><br> Yes we want to open the nadis and granthis and we work our bodies in that direction but where does contortion start and Yoga end? I have seen Sharath in Hanumanasana reaching back with his hand to his straight leg, grabbing it and planting his head near the back of his knee. And I also saw a performer in Cirque Du Soleil do the exact same thing. Only she was doing a one armed handstand at the time.(The show was Quidam, on DVD and VHS).She was graceful under the pressure of a huge audience, steady , relaxed and concentrated, she held the pose more than 8 breaths. If she sat and meditated, would she reach a faster or better Samadhi than Sharath or any other advanced practitioners, because she is more open? Is she happier in her everyday life, is she a better person because she can do that than if she could only do a good paschimottanasana? All the people in gymnastics, who do things even more difficult than we do in Yoga, are they anywhere near stillness and peace, cause I’m sure their shushumna is pretty open by now? People on this Club are discussing how to get more flexible, what to eat in order to be more flexible and when to practice (in the morning or evening) so they can get into those difficult asanas. Yes flexibility and opening are a good thing up to a point but after that, it seems irrelevant to Yoga. How “flexible” do you think you have to be, how technically adept before you start doing Yoga? What about those Vipassana meditators and Zen monks and the compassionate Dalai Lama with his Tibetan exiles? Are we all doomed to fail in the quest for enlightenment if we can’t do Skandasana? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 11, 2000 Report Share Posted August 11, 2000 Thank you for this wonderful reminder that yoga isn't just about flexibility of limb. I too have seen Cirque and have a couple friends that were top college gymnasts. And, like many others, I get caught up in trying to be more flexible. Excited when a joint gives a little more.But, we need to remember to be equally as excited when our minds open a little more as well.<br><br>Namaste,<br><br>ishogun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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