Monday, February 16, 2009
Not Flexible Enough for Yoga?
There is no such thing as "not flexible enough for yoga." Young or old, healthy or disabled, one need not be in any kind of physical shape to enjoy yoga's benefits, which can include increased flexibility, strength, and mental clarity, improved posture, and increased regularity of one's sleep and digestive cycles.
Yoga is not gymnastics, and is not a competition. The physical poses (asanas) are used to assess the condition of one's own body, from which point one moves incrementally and intelligently to increase mobility and strength.
Yoga is not a religion. While the physical poses and breathing exercises (asana and pranayama) have many benefits, at bottom they are two prongs of an eight-pronged system by which one might reduce the fluctuations of her/his consciousness, thus calming the mind and increasing one's ability to focus on her/his priorities.
Approached correctly, yoga offers a challenging and dynamic path toward physical and mental well-being. Yoga is an excellent antidote to the wear-and-tear on skeletal/muscular systems that can be caused by traditional methods of cardiovascular and weight-training. And while one might only lift so much weight, so many times, in so many ways, or run so far, so fast, the mastery of each asana, or series of asanas, leads to a new series of more challenging postures.
Yoga is not gymnastics, and is not a competition. The physical poses (asanas) are used to assess the condition of one's own body, from which point one moves incrementally and intelligently to increase mobility and strength.
Yoga is not a religion. While the physical poses and breathing exercises (asana and pranayama) have many benefits, at bottom they are two prongs of an eight-pronged system by which one might reduce the fluctuations of her/his consciousness, thus calming the mind and increasing one's ability to focus on her/his priorities.
Approached correctly, yoga offers a challenging and dynamic path toward physical and mental well-being. Yoga is an excellent antidote to the wear-and-tear on skeletal/muscular systems that can be caused by traditional methods of cardiovascular and weight-training. And while one might only lift so much weight, so many times, in so many ways, or run so far, so fast, the mastery of each asana, or series of asanas, leads to a new series of more challenging postures.
What is Iyengar Yoga?
(from Iyengar Yoga Resources)
The Practice
The Iyengar method of Yoga is initially learnt through the in-depth study of asanas (posture) and pranayama (breath control). Mr Iyengar has systematised over 200 classical yoga Asanas and 14 different types of Pranayamas (with variations of many of them) from the simple to the incredibly difficult. These have been structured and categorised so as to allow a beginner to progress surely and safely from basic postures to the most advanced as they gain flexibility, strength and sensitivity in mind, body and spirit.
Asana
In practice Iyengar yoga focuses particularly on three aspects. Correct body alignment allows the body to develop harmoniously in an anatomically correct way so that the student suffers no injury or pain when practising correctly. As all bodies are different and people have different weaknesses and strengths. Mr Iyengar has also developed the use of props to help the body into the correct positions required. Props are objects like wooden blocks, chairs, blankets and belts that help one adjust or support oneself in the different postures so that one can work in a range of motion that is safe and effective.
An added benefit is that although the therapeutic aspects of asanas and pranayama have been known for centuries, Mr Iyengar's unrelenting emphasis on correct anatomical alignment and methods of working have refined the therapeutic aspects of Yoga. Thus practice of Iyengar yoga will often result in eliminating aches and pains, improve posture etc. but Iyengar Yoga can also be used to treat many ailments, including extremely serious medical conditions, under the supervision of a suitably experienced teacher. The other two key aspects of asana practice in the Iyengar system are correct sequencing in which there is a powerful cumulative effect achieved by practicing asanas in particular sequences. The concept of timings means postures are held for considerable lengths of time to let the effects of the poses penetrate deeper within the individual
What distinguishes Iyengar Yoga from other styles of yoga
In summary, the Iyengar method of Yoga may be said to define itself as different from other styles of Yoga by 3 key elements, namely technique, sequence and timing:
Technique means that in practice one learns ever finer adjustments in the alignment of how one performs one's asana and pranayama. Sequence refers to the sequences in which asana and pranayama are practiced. For example, by varying which postures are practiced after which, the mental and emotional effects of the practice can be intensified in a manner not otherwise possible in order to bring about changes to the whole being including ones spiritual evolution. Timing refers to the length of time spent in postures or pranayama. Postures cannot be done swiftly or without awareness. It takes time to move into a posture and become stable. When this has been achieved then one remains stably for some time to intensify the depth of the posture and so extract its benefit. Otherwise the potential effects and benefits remain small compared to what is possible.
So one can begin to see how Iyengar yoga cultivates all 8 disciplines of yoga and is far from merely "gymnastics and deep breathing." With practice and understanding, one realises that Asana (posture) is as different from stretching or gymnastics just as Pranayama (Breath control) is different from merely deep breathing and meditation is different from self-induced trance.
The prolonged practice of asana and pranayama affects the individual on an organic (physiological), mental and spiritually level as well as just physically.
The Practice
The Iyengar method of Yoga is initially learnt through the in-depth study of asanas (posture) and pranayama (breath control). Mr Iyengar has systematised over 200 classical yoga Asanas and 14 different types of Pranayamas (with variations of many of them) from the simple to the incredibly difficult. These have been structured and categorised so as to allow a beginner to progress surely and safely from basic postures to the most advanced as they gain flexibility, strength and sensitivity in mind, body and spirit.
Asana
In practice Iyengar yoga focuses particularly on three aspects. Correct body alignment allows the body to develop harmoniously in an anatomically correct way so that the student suffers no injury or pain when practising correctly. As all bodies are different and people have different weaknesses and strengths. Mr Iyengar has also developed the use of props to help the body into the correct positions required. Props are objects like wooden blocks, chairs, blankets and belts that help one adjust or support oneself in the different postures so that one can work in a range of motion that is safe and effective.
An added benefit is that although the therapeutic aspects of asanas and pranayama have been known for centuries, Mr Iyengar's unrelenting emphasis on correct anatomical alignment and methods of working have refined the therapeutic aspects of Yoga. Thus practice of Iyengar yoga will often result in eliminating aches and pains, improve posture etc. but Iyengar Yoga can also be used to treat many ailments, including extremely serious medical conditions, under the supervision of a suitably experienced teacher. The other two key aspects of asana practice in the Iyengar system are correct sequencing in which there is a powerful cumulative effect achieved by practicing asanas in particular sequences. The concept of timings means postures are held for considerable lengths of time to let the effects of the poses penetrate deeper within the individual
What distinguishes Iyengar Yoga from other styles of yoga
In summary, the Iyengar method of Yoga may be said to define itself as different from other styles of Yoga by 3 key elements, namely technique, sequence and timing:
Technique means that in practice one learns ever finer adjustments in the alignment of how one performs one's asana and pranayama. Sequence refers to the sequences in which asana and pranayama are practiced. For example, by varying which postures are practiced after which, the mental and emotional effects of the practice can be intensified in a manner not otherwise possible in order to bring about changes to the whole being including ones spiritual evolution. Timing refers to the length of time spent in postures or pranayama. Postures cannot be done swiftly or without awareness. It takes time to move into a posture and become stable. When this has been achieved then one remains stably for some time to intensify the depth of the posture and so extract its benefit. Otherwise the potential effects and benefits remain small compared to what is possible.
So one can begin to see how Iyengar yoga cultivates all 8 disciplines of yoga and is far from merely "gymnastics and deep breathing." With practice and understanding, one realises that Asana (posture) is as different from stretching or gymnastics just as Pranayama (Breath control) is different from merely deep breathing and meditation is different from self-induced trance.
The prolonged practice of asana and pranayama affects the individual on an organic (physiological), mental and spiritually level as well as just physically.
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