I have been noticing a difference between what is difficult and what might be called advanced postures. 

Some postures can be very difficult without being particularly advanced. They require great strength or effort but not any particularly developed awareness or mobility.

A perfect example is Balancing Stick/Warrior 3. It is incredibly simple in its execution and alignment. Body in a straight line, bent straight forward on the standing hip. But it is very difficult to do. It requires some balance and a whole lot of strength in the hips and back. 

Balancing Stick is difficult but not advanced.

On the flip side, there are postures that are advanced in execution, awareness and energy but are physically very easy to do. 

A perfect example of this is Easy Pose, also known as sitting cross-legged. Almost everyone can sit in some form of this posture. But the upward motion of the energy through the spine created by the crossing of the lower half of the body (legs) is something that takes great awareness and control of the body and mind. 

Easy Pose is not difficult, but it is advanced.

Yoga is a sport where all of the movements are designed for your health.

Yoga is a sport where you compete only with your own perception of who you are.

Yoga is a sport where the greatest victory is union with the divine.

Fantasy or imagination is a thought pattern that has verbal expression and knowledge, 
but for which there is no such object or reality in existence. 

As I study Chapter 1, Verse 9 of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra (above), I am struck by an excellent reason for silence. 

Our minds will inevitably create images and thoughts. When we give voice to these thoughts; when we explain them or detail them with words, we are solidifying them, making them stronger and more real. Where they once were made of only air, we cast them in mud or even stone. But they are not real. They are only images in our minds. The more we talk about the thoughts we have in our minds, the more we can confuse the solidified thoughts with actual reality.

If we can notice our thoughts without giving them voice, we have a greater opportunity to observe the difference between what is in our mind and what truly exists. So perhaps it is best not to ask the question "What are you thinking?" And perhaps it is best not to answer it.

"Why be elated by material profit? The one who pursues a goal of evenmindedness is neither jubilant with gain nor depressed by loss. He knows that man arrives penniless in this world, and departs without a single rupee."

From 'Autobiography Of a Yogi' by Paramahansa Yogananada 

A beginner yogi's journey is mostly one of physical struggle and psychological reformation. Building strength and flexibility, beginning the conversation between mind, body and spirit. Seeking, identifying and becoming familiar with that connection.

The intermediate student (where I think I am) has established the mind, body, spirit connection. Their physical awareness and development allows for them to continue on a deeper, more complex journey of connection. More finely tuned awareness, more powerful physical postures and physical presence, more profound release.

I think (though admittedly I don't know) an advanced practitioner (or perhaps and advanced student) is someone who can do all the postures. Or, more specifically, one who has leapt over most or all of the physical hurdles. Once the physical obstacles of strength and flexibility are overcome, a new journey of union can begin. One that is focused more acutely on meditation, completeness and transcendence.

I have been led to believe that extreme physical prowess, like doing advanced postures, is not necessary for profound awareness and connection. I have no choice at this point but to believe that this is true. The physical nature of the postures is certainly not the ultimate expression of them, but it makes me wonder: can there be union without the physicality? Perhaps, once our union has become effortless and ever-present, our yoga transcends the physical realm, making asana unnecessary.

As I imagine teaching classes of students at different levels, and as I create posture sequences for myself, I am face to face with what all this means. What postures to do and why? What intention to seek and why? What is the journey? What direction should we go? 

I have been noticing more and more the progression through which the postures move. Originally, I thought it was designed to warm the body slowly (which it is), start with large muscle groups (which it does) and progress to more fragile areas of the body (which it does). I am starting to see the sequence in terms of energy and balance. (Balance as in 'evenness,' not balance as in 'not falling over.')

The first many postures move the body with symmetry and simple forward/backward motion. This is as much for mind/body connection as it is for physical safety and warmth. The right and left sides of the body (and brain) are united through consistent movement, balancing them. It is not until much later in the series that we begin to cross the body or twist.

When we cross, twist and bind the body, it challenges our perceptions and balance in a profound way. The body becomes asymmetrical. The two halves are moving in different ways, requiring different attention from our minds. Out of respect for the complexity and difficulty of these movements, we should firmly establish the symmetry of the body first with lots of symmetrical, balanced postures.

If we start twisting the body immediately or putting it in asymmetrical positions, the complexity and turbulence of the mind-body energy will prevent us from making a significant link between the mind and body.

Practicing the postures of yoga builds strength and flexibility, but those are not the goals. We are seeking awareness, understanding and unity of the body, mind and spirit. We use the postures to activate and stimulate each part of the body so we can feel it, become aware of it, and incorporate it into our whole being. 

We get strong in the process, and we get flexible. But if those physical goals are our ultimate destination, we fall far short of the possibilities of yoga. The postures, and our approach to them, acquaint us with our bodies so we can unite and become whole.

Yoga. Union. Union of the self. Union of the body and mind. Union of the individual with the universal.

It is difficult or impossible to walk the path to union if our bodies are sick, which is why we often begin with physical exercise to rid the body of disease and improve its function. But physical health takes more than exercise. It takes proper nutrition. Physical health does not mean burning enough calories to offset unhealthy food or habits. 

When I see what "yoga" is becoming around me, I am sad. I see it becoming little more than an exercise routine, because our culture is obsessed with exercise and being skinny. Yoga postures are just the latest fitness fad. If we don't teach the greater goals of yoga, it will fade with the rest of the physical fitness fads: vibrating belts, thighmasters, 8 minute abs, step aerobics, pilates, elliptical machines, exercise bikes and resistance bands. I fear that 5 or 10 years from now, yoga will be an passé physical fitness trend.

Yoga Postures are great for the body, without a doubt. But they are the beginning of a more important journey of spirit and unity.

A fascinating article in the New York Times about the effects of cold and exercise on our bodies. I didn't know that we have more than one kind of fat - white fat and brown fat - that have different functions. Also, we have a hormone called Irisin that acts as a marker for what our bodies are doing metabolically.

If this seems confusing or new to you, join the club. I haven't been this shocked or baffled by an article about the body in a long time. Read the whole article here.

There is a tradition of methodical study and exploration of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra. When revisited and restudied over the course of one's lifetime, the Sutra imparts new wisdom and illuminates new depths of yoga. In honor of that tradition and to deepen my own study and understanding, I will be exploring the Sutra in a section of this website called Study.