Yoga Goals - Actual vs "Visual"
For people new to Yoga practice, I imagine it can seem daunting. Images of uber-flexible yogis, and the insistance by some teachers that you have to reach their level of flexibility to be "correctly" performing Yoga, can make the average beginner want to look into step-aerobics.
I certainly felt that way when I first looked at Yoga. I lucked out that my first Yoga teacher didn't care about me being able to put my nose on the floor in Rowing the Boat pose, he had other benefits in mind when he put me in that position. Later, an Iyengar instructor of mine pulled out blocks, belts, and did everything possible to get us into those postures, and I found myself resisting her at every twist and turn --until Yoga class became something to dread, rather than look forward to.
I've had a broad range of students over my years of teaching. From dancers who could outclass me when it came to body contortion and flexibility, to people with disabilities. Do I tell the person whose vertebra have been fused due to an injury that Yoga is just not for them, and only focus on the hale and healthy? And what about the more hearty and flexible student, are they getting a good workout doing postures that are easy for them?
Those questions led to a great deal of study and meditation on the subject, until I came to the meditative realization that there are two goals to performing Yoga Asana... Visual and Actual.
The Visual goals of Asana practice are fairly obvious. They're often based on the "look" of the postures when a practiced Yogi settles into them. The posture Uttanasana (standing forward bend), for example, seems to visually indicate that you should have your knees locked and your body pressed against your legs to succeed in the posture, or at least be able to touch your toes while standing straight. If your flexibility in your hamstrings is limited, or you have other contraindications to the practice, you might find your mind would rather do anything BUT the posture, and your body will respond in kind.
Visual goals can be important. They can give you something to strive for; to make your daily Yoga workouts mentally and emotionally worthwhile when you reach them. But what if you never make it completely to your visual goal? Does that mean you've failed in Yoga?
The answer, when you consider the actual goals of Asana, is NO.
Each Asana has an "Actual" goal associated with it. These goals are easily reachable, and provide health benefits EVERY time you perform them. If we look at Uttanasana again as the example, focussing this time on its actual goals, we find that touching your toes or hugging your body into your legs when standing is not important. Stand up right now, bend forward and touch your toes (or thereabouts). Go ahead. If someone asks you what you're doing tell them unashamed that you are learning about Yoga and point them to this site!
What did you feel when you performed that exercise? Where was the tightness for you? Was it anywhere BESIDES in your hamstrings? Did it seem like the only benefit you were receiving was a good hamstring stretch?
If stretching the hamstrings was the only purpose behind this posture, then ONLY the visual goal would be important. However, flexibility is a by-product of Yoga practice, not a requirement.
The ACTUAL goals of this posture are:
Now, how do you feel coming out of it? Were you able to get any "deeper" into the pose, either mentally or physically?
I think if you focus on the actual goals of a pose, rather than on the visual aesthetic, you may find your Yoga practice will go from difficult and dismissable to transformational.
Namaste!
I certainly felt that way when I first looked at Yoga. I lucked out that my first Yoga teacher didn't care about me being able to put my nose on the floor in Rowing the Boat pose, he had other benefits in mind when he put me in that position. Later, an Iyengar instructor of mine pulled out blocks, belts, and did everything possible to get us into those postures, and I found myself resisting her at every twist and turn --until Yoga class became something to dread, rather than look forward to.
I've had a broad range of students over my years of teaching. From dancers who could outclass me when it came to body contortion and flexibility, to people with disabilities. Do I tell the person whose vertebra have been fused due to an injury that Yoga is just not for them, and only focus on the hale and healthy? And what about the more hearty and flexible student, are they getting a good workout doing postures that are easy for them?
Those questions led to a great deal of study and meditation on the subject, until I came to the meditative realization that there are two goals to performing Yoga Asana... Visual and Actual.
The Visual goals of Asana practice are fairly obvious. They're often based on the "look" of the postures when a practiced Yogi settles into them. The posture Uttanasana (standing forward bend), for example, seems to visually indicate that you should have your knees locked and your body pressed against your legs to succeed in the posture, or at least be able to touch your toes while standing straight. If your flexibility in your hamstrings is limited, or you have other contraindications to the practice, you might find your mind would rather do anything BUT the posture, and your body will respond in kind.
Visual goals can be important. They can give you something to strive for; to make your daily Yoga workouts mentally and emotionally worthwhile when you reach them. But what if you never make it completely to your visual goal? Does that mean you've failed in Yoga?
The answer, when you consider the actual goals of Asana, is NO.
Each Asana has an "Actual" goal associated with it. These goals are easily reachable, and provide health benefits EVERY time you perform them. If we look at Uttanasana again as the example, focussing this time on its actual goals, we find that touching your toes or hugging your body into your legs when standing is not important. Stand up right now, bend forward and touch your toes (or thereabouts). Go ahead. If someone asks you what you're doing tell them unashamed that you are learning about Yoga and point them to this site!
What did you feel when you performed that exercise? Where was the tightness for you? Was it anywhere BESIDES in your hamstrings? Did it seem like the only benefit you were receiving was a good hamstring stretch?
If stretching the hamstrings was the only purpose behind this posture, then ONLY the visual goal would be important. However, flexibility is a by-product of Yoga practice, not a requirement.
The ACTUAL goals of this posture are:
- Opening of the vertebra to stretch the spine
- Relaxation and "gravitational" stretching of the shoulders
- Relaxation of the hip flexors
- Relaxation of the neck
- Quieting the internal dialogue
Now, how do you feel coming out of it? Were you able to get any "deeper" into the pose, either mentally or physically?
I think if you focus on the actual goals of a pose, rather than on the visual aesthetic, you may find your Yoga practice will go from difficult and dismissable to transformational.
Namaste!
posted by JC Carter at
3:13 PM
1 Comments
