Re (2): AT ALL...

[Guest guest]

(continued)<br>In sports, the objective of

training is to beat the body into whatever shape the

ulterior goal requires, regardless of what the long term

price of that might be. Climbers get loads of shoulder,

wrist and finger injuries and accept that as part of

"getting better". I couldn't even fully straighten my arms

in those days. Which maybe isn't so very dreadful,

but then, I knew good climbers who claimed that they

smoked because it helped them keep their weight down. Is

that bad & stupid enough for you?<br><br>In yoga,

we're supposed to learn to treat our bodies with care

and sensitivity and respect. The primary series is

supposed to be therapeutic - it's even called yoga

therapy. Yes, I know loads of astangis hurt themselves

trying to beat their knees into padmasana too. But then

that doesn't work and they have to learn to apply care

& sensitivity & patience instead. And sooner or

later, if you learn care and sensitivity and patience

with regard to that, you can gradually start applying

it to other things too.<br><br>I'm certainly in a

better mental state now than when I was climbing. Most

of the time then I was ferociously

(self-)competitive and achievement oriented, always pushing and

being dissatisfied with myself for not being "good

enough". Sure, there were times when I was just content

with the beauty of the mountains and the joy of

movement, but mostly I had lost the plot somewhere. Now

since I've been doing yoga I'm much less like that,

much more accepting of myself and where I'm at and

glad to do things for their own sake. Some of that

might just be more maturity/fatalism because I'm older

now, and other things that have happened along the

way, but it seems to me that a lot of it is down to

yoga.<br><br>I don't kid myself that being able to do cool stuff

with my body makes me any better than anybody else.

Being able to do the cool stuff, though fun, is a side

effect. That's the clever trick. Maybe you start because

you want to be able to do impressive-looking things,

and maybe one day you even get to be able to do them,

but in order to get there you have to do an awful lot

of being honest with yourself and starting reality

right in the face. I think that's where the long term

ramifications lie.<br><br>(And, er, this isn't a big deal or

anything, but it would be nice if people spelt my name

right. Ta.)<br><br>Alan

[Guest guest]

Alan,<br>Sorry about the name thing, and also,

dragging you into my question. I was only using your

situation as an example as well as my own - because I had

just read a message from you. I am by no means

singling you out or anything. You seem to have a great

sense of balance about things - so no need to defend

your choices. I also really like that you reminded me

of how yoga is different than many sports/physical

activities and other kinds of yoga in particular that don't

ask you to practice your weaknesses. It is so true

about Ashtanga - the way it asks you to not only do the

poses you are good at but also the things you are weak

at. But I'll have you know that my hands and feet

have come to be more than a foot and 1/2 closer than

they were a year ago, and I can nearly stand up on my

own now - the way I used to be able to do when I was

18. I know my body is capable of it because I could

do it before - not so, so long ago. But there will

be new weak areas to practice next year I suppose

and the therapy seems to be in the practicing of it.

But it is very exciting for me to get those ankles

crossed behind my head. I geuss it's OK to be excited

about it even though it's not the ultimate point of

yoga. <br><br>FBL

[Guest guest]

>>But I'll have you know that my hands and

feet have come to be more than a foot and 1/2 closer

than they were a year ago, and I can nearly stand up

on my own now <br><br>Cool. I'm still a year or two

away from that one. It's all great fun as long as you

don't fall into the trap of thinking it matters. I went

to one of those "crim" flow/improvisation workshops

last week, and managed to jump back from asta

vakrasana (way cool hard looking 3rd series asana that is

actually only difficult if you drop into it from

handstand. Which I didn't). Completely meaningless but a

good laugh.