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Raj Choudhury (Bikram's wife) has been supporting scientific studies of Bikram Yoga for several years (thanks Rajashree!). There have been a several articles published about the studies. Raj shared some of them on her Facebook page.
Time Magazine: Is Hot Yoga Good For You - And For Weight Loss? Colorado State University: 'Hot' Yoga Yields Fitness Benefits The results of the study are here. Quite simply, Asana practice is defined by alignment. Alignment is what makes one posture different from another. It is the rotation in the hip that separates Warrior 3 from Balancing Half Moon. It is the bent knee that separates a High Lunge from a Low Lunge. It is the straight arms that separate Up Dog from Cobra. Alignment is simply the position in which we put our bodies. We are always aligned in one way or another. From there it is just a matter of degree: how much attention we pay to the integrity and proper use of our bodies' structures, or how little.
It is understandable and justifiable to see the postures in broad strokes and shapes; to think that as long as we put the big pieces in place we are doing the postures. To a certain extent that is true. But that approach neglects a deep and profound well of strength, flexibility, balance, resilience, patience, compassion, intelligence, focus and calm that awaits us when we explore our bodies and the body-mind connection with more curiosity, depth and attention to detail. The Devil's In the Details Our bodies are tremendous creations, complex and multi-faceted. Which means that it is easy to become overwhelmed by the details and minutiae, especially if we aren't anatomy or bio-mechanics experts. This is true of teachers as well as students. When we feel overwhelmed by the sheer possibilities for our body's alignment, it is normal for us to retreat from it. But, even though alignment can be detailed, it shouldn't be overwhelming. In fact, it should be quite simple. Go Simply I encourage you not to retreat from detailed alignment in your yoga posture practice. Just simplify. When I am frustrated by a posture, I go back to the beginning and find its essence. What is the One thing this posture is trying to achieve? Is it a bend in the spine? Is it a stretch of the hamstrings? Is it strength in the shoulders? Once you identify the most important element in the posture, practice that posture with your mind completely focused on that element. Don't think about anything else. Do that one thing with 100% intention and try to do it perfectly, no matter how good or bad it looks from the outside. After awhile of practicing with complete commitment to the primary intention of the posture, the rest of the posture slowly begins to reveal itself. The body starts to unfold naturally, and you will end up solidly in a posture that you now know intimately and love deeply. And one that is properly aligned. Stay Focused On the Center There is always the availability of countless details about the alignment of the edges of the postures. Consider them for a moment or two, then return your focus to the core intention of the posture. As my teacher Tony Sanchez said during a breathing exercise, "It is a breathing exercise. Focus on your lungs, not your legs." This will keep your mind focused and your postures true. It will bring greater detail and energy to your practice.
Once we begin to study yoga in depth, find our own path, and especially when we begin to teach others it is easy to believe that our yoga is the best or truest form. When we take a class under the guidance of another teacher we can ignore their instruction or even think to ourselves "this is wrong" or "my way is better."
I have heard the good advice "when you take class with another teacher, take the class." Don't analyze their technique or criticize their approach in your head. Stay present, follow their guidance and learn what you can from another yogi's perspective. I have found that the concept of "taking the class" is much easier when I have a firmly established home practice. In my own practice I can explore my own postures, alignments, depths, durations and intentions. I can do whatever I want on my own time, so I feel that my practice is sufficient and developing along its own path. I don't need the classes with other teachers to fill my yoga quota for the day or week. When I am comfortable in my own expression of the practice I am more willing to give the control to another teacher for a short period. One intermediate goal of Yoga is to achieve serenity. The path to serenity is through the removal of desires. We often think that happiness comes through fulfilling our desires; getting what we want. Yoga teaches us the opposite. That happiness (or, more accurately, Serenity/Peace) comes by gradually removing the desires instead of fulfilling them.
Slaves To the Outcome When our desires are fulfilled we feel great happiness. When they are foiled we feel sadness, defeat, anger, betrayal and insecurity. The great discrepancy between this happiness and defeat becomes the antithesis of serenity. We are high or low. Also, when we pursue the fulfillment of our desires, our actions become subordinate to the hoped-for goal and they cease to be for their own sake. We remove ourselves from the present moment, even the present action and proceed in the hope that we are affecting the future. They Gradually Melt Away Yoga teaches us that Serenity comes by removing our desires. We are freed from the cycle of ups-and-downs of success and failure. Our actions become present and not tied to a fantasy future outcome. "Removing our desires" can be easy to misunderstand. We may think that it means we have to restrain ourselves, discipline ourselves, and force ourselves to not want things. But this is contrary to the teaching because it too becomes a "desire" to fulfill. The removal of desires happens gradually over time as a process of realization. When we are mindful we begin to see how our actions and desires are affecting us. Desire-focused living tends to create stress, poor sleep and reactionary soothing actions like consumption (overeating, sugar and alcohol) and distraction (restlessness, television and conversation). When our desires are gone our lives become calm, generous and perceptive. We see our actions and those of others as they truly are, so we can begin to act rightly with real understanding of our impact. I am a naturally curious person, which means that I love to learn but I easily shift areas of interest and focus. Consistency does not come naturally to me, but I am beginning to realize the necessity of a stable and grounded "touchstone" in my life.
Within my yoga practice I am always curious, searching for new sensations, new expressions, new depths. But I need to balance this curiosity with a simple, consistent and stable foundational practice that does not change. It will become the rock on which my practice is built; the roots from which my branches of curiosity can extend. Without stable roots, too many branches will topple the whole thing. When I think of patience, I generally think of being stuck in line at the DMV or a traffic jam. How do I keep from becoming agitated in a situation where the rest of the world isn't moving as quickly as I'd like it to? While this type of patience is important, it is a small and short-term version of a far larger concept. Patience can extend over the course of years, even decades. We can practice (yes I said practice) patience with ourselves, with others and with situations and circumstances.
In the practice of yoga, patience compliments persistence. While we stay the course over time (persistence) we must also recognize the role and value of that time. We make better progress if we do not push ourselves too hard in the hopes of accomplishment. It is better to go gently and patiently, understanding the power of continuous, repeated effort over time. We must also practice patience with ourselves. We naturally set goals and strive toward them, and that means we naturally become frustrated along the way. We don't live up to our hopes or expectations; we struggle with focus or persistence or progress. It is during these periods that we must be patient. We must remember what the goal is and what the path is (each of us is different in this regard). Almost always, continued effort toward the goal is more important than our temporary setbacks.
How do we think of ourselves? Do we perceive ourselves as separate from the people, objects and universe around us? What about us is different from the other stuff?
It seems to me (at this moment) that we work pretty hard to separate ourselves. We use our thoughts and actions to build barriers between ourselves that those around us. What are the ways we know we are alive? Love? Pain? Eating? Wanting? They are all ways of acquiring things, gathering them as proof of our own existence. Money, possessions, friends, work, accomplishments. They are all ways to build the concept of the self. None of them are actually us, but we feel that they are valuable and necessary. What is the self then? What happens if we take away all the constructions, the crutches that we use to assure ourselves of our existence and importance? |
This journal honors my ongoing experience with the practice, study and teaching of yoga.
My FavoritesPopular Posts1) Sridaiva Yoga: Good Intention But Imbalanced
2) Understanding Chair Posture 2) Why I Don't Use Sanskrit or Say Namaste 3) The Meaningless Drudgery of Physical Yoga 5) Beyond Bikram: Why This Is a Great Time For Ghosh Yoga Categories
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