Pranayama - The Yogic Science of Breath

[Guest guest]

by Spyros Kapnias - Garudananda

www.iYogaClub.com

 

Many people hesitate to take up yoga simply because they do not have

the required flexibility. The majority of these people are men but

the percentage of woman is not small either. Perhaps the reason lies

in the fact that these people feel deterred from taking up yoga when

being exposed to or upon seeing the performance of advanced asanas.

 

There are multiple answers to their questions as to whether they can

do it or not.

 

Firstly, there is no need for somebody to be super flexible in order

to take up yoga as yoga`s mainly focus is on the mind and the soul

rather than the body.

 

The body is simply the means through which swift and permanent

changes can occur to it only when there is a simultaneous change in

our mental approach.

 

Secondly, the fact is that flexibility is achievable and is owed more

to matters of the mind, technique and regular practice rather than

being genetically defined.

 

Genetics could help in defining flexibility but, believe me, most

great yogis worked very hard in order to obtain it and reach the

point they are today.

 

Our mental approach is to a great extent responsible for the

flexibility we acquire. Our body stores emotions and adopts poses

according to our moods.

 

Accumulated feelings of rejection, insecurity and anger often cause

permanent muscular contractions within the body. That is not

a " privilege " of the unstable but of all of us. What we need to do is

to allow ourselves to surrender to each asana. We must allow this

resistant, scared body to open like a lotus, fearlessly and bravely

towards the others and to our own selves. This is directly linked to

technique, for instance, in order to allow ourselves to go deep into

an asanas it is important for our body to be aligned and to have

undergone proper preparation. The correct alignment and preparation

with introductory asanas protect us against any possible injuries.

 

Last but not least, regular practice cultivates the grounds for the

body and soul to gradually deepen in the psychokinetic realisation.

To close I would like to quote two great yoga teachers.

 

David Williams said that " An asana is like a jar of honey. The

further you have to go to reach its end, the more honey there is in

the jar. The most important thing is the honey, the effort, the

awareness, the realisation and the joy of practice " .

 

The second story was one I heard from Jean Claude Garnier this Easter

at the Teacher Training Seminar I attended with him in Evoia. Once,

the great French dancer Bezzar respectfully asked B.K.S. Iyengar to

supervise his dancer's technique and to give him some advice. Guruji

agreed and sat to watch the demonstration. When it finished he was

asked to offer help and he replied that he couldn't. According to

Jean Claude Garnier the Guruji's response was that he couldn't

because the dancers had reached such a level of flexibility through a

different path, that it would be impossible for them to realize their

bodies and their movements through yoga. In order for that to happen

they would have to have restrictions and limitations to overcome

through yoga practice.

 

" Flexibility is not yoga's prime target. Its target is the Self and

the state of Consciousness. The asanas do not have to be performed to

perfection but if that is what you wish, try it, dare it; it is a

sweet trap for your ego. "