Being obsessed with the outcome of your yoga practice, is exactly what the ancient yogic texts teach us not to succumb to. However, as a result-oriented society, many of us tend to look for a desired outcome after putting in the effort, and this insistence, more often than not, sets us up for frustration. So much energy is spent on focussing on what we can't control, instead of staying grounded to our true intentions to the practice.
What amused me the other day, was when a yoga teacher bumped into another, and the first thing she asked was, "Hey! Can you do the handstand yet???"
Excuse me for being old-fashioned, but what happened to the "Long time no see, how are you?", or even "How are your classes going?"
Has the yoga society gone so competitively mad, that the handstand is perceived as the creme de la creme of yogasanas, and that achieving it puts you on a pedestal amongst the League of Extraordinary Yogis?
Is progress in one's yoga practice defined by the ability to (eventually) do an advanced asana?
When my Tripsichore Yoga Teacher Training came with a huge serving of Pincha Mayurasana, garnished with arm and leg variations, my heartbeat accelerated and my first reaction was, "how the heck am I going to do ALL THAT by November?" I googled for tips and techniques, and drooled at images and videos of LA-based yoga rockstar, Kathryn Budig, who eat forearm balances for breakfast!
I YogaGlo'd and zoomed in on as many online classes I could find on the Pincha. I printed out a picture of Kathryn Budig in an effortless funky Pincha Mayurasana for motivation. And I practised, and practised, and practised, keeping one eye on Budig, and the other eye on the October 24 deadline.
My shoulders collapsed whenever I tried to maintain vertical stability, and my arms were sore. Never mind I now have the ugliest elbows on this side of KL, as the skin got scraped off and re-scraped off. And the final posture couldn't be further away. The more I stressed about "getting up", the more I fell down frustrated.
And so, blessed with tight shoulders, a dented coccyx from a previous bad accident and the love of going upside down, I tore down Budig's picture (sorry, Kathryn, but I still love you!), chucked my deadline out of the window...and continued to practise. Some days I can hardly get my head off the ground, and on other days, I lift off effortlessly with a 'woohoo', and encounter some stability.
One of today's great masters of yoga, B.K.S Iyengar, said, "Transformation is sustained change, and it is achieved through practice".
Progress in your yoga practice should not be gauged by milestones and a timeline to achieve perfection.
To me, progress is defined by my highest point of my practice TODAY. I still can't claim that I nailed the Pincha Mayurasana (as evident in Pic 3)... and there are days where I crash, boom and bang more than I stay up effortlessly... but I believe, you are only as good as your last practice.
So, sprinkle a pinch of salt, a wink and a laugh on deadlines, and enjoy the ride. It's much more exhilarating than the destination.
What amused me the other day, was when a yoga teacher bumped into another, and the first thing she asked was, "Hey! Can you do the handstand yet???"
Excuse me for being old-fashioned, but what happened to the "Long time no see, how are you?", or even "How are your classes going?"
Has the yoga society gone so competitively mad, that the handstand is perceived as the creme de la creme of yogasanas, and that achieving it puts you on a pedestal amongst the League of Extraordinary Yogis?
Is progress in one's yoga practice defined by the ability to (eventually) do an advanced asana?
When my Tripsichore Yoga Teacher Training came with a huge serving of Pincha Mayurasana, garnished with arm and leg variations, my heartbeat accelerated and my first reaction was, "how the heck am I going to do ALL THAT by November?" I googled for tips and techniques, and drooled at images and videos of LA-based yoga rockstar, Kathryn Budig, who eat forearm balances for breakfast!
I YogaGlo'd and zoomed in on as many online classes I could find on the Pincha. I printed out a picture of Kathryn Budig in an effortless funky Pincha Mayurasana for motivation. And I practised, and practised, and practised, keeping one eye on Budig, and the other eye on the October 24 deadline.
My shoulders collapsed whenever I tried to maintain vertical stability, and my arms were sore. Never mind I now have the ugliest elbows on this side of KL, as the skin got scraped off and re-scraped off. And the final posture couldn't be further away. The more I stressed about "getting up", the more I fell down frustrated.
And so, blessed with tight shoulders, a dented coccyx from a previous bad accident and the love of going upside down, I tore down Budig's picture (sorry, Kathryn, but I still love you!), chucked my deadline out of the window...and continued to practise. Some days I can hardly get my head off the ground, and on other days, I lift off effortlessly with a 'woohoo', and encounter some stability.
One of today's great masters of yoga, B.K.S Iyengar, said, "Transformation is sustained change, and it is achieved through practice".
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| Start with the Headstand. Stabilise and press the wrists and forearms down firmly. |
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| Slowly, flatten your palms,and shift your forehead onto the mat. |
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| Eventually, lift your head off the mat. (A good indication of tight shoulders, is when your forearms aren't totally straight) |
To me, progress is defined by my highest point of my practice TODAY. I still can't claim that I nailed the Pincha Mayurasana (as evident in Pic 3)... and there are days where I crash, boom and bang more than I stay up effortlessly... but I believe, you are only as good as your last practice.
So, sprinkle a pinch of salt, a wink and a laugh on deadlines, and enjoy the ride. It's much more exhilarating than the destination.
1 comment:
funny la you! :-)
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