This is an unusual experience for me. I don’t usually write on the postures directly, mostly because there’s already so much out there. Typically there’s some sort of philosophical underpinning to my efforts, so as I sit down to write this one, I’m in somewhat uncomfortable territory. Or am I? Asana is LIFE! So, maybe not. OK, here goes….
As I see it there are (at least) eight principles we can apply to the physical practice of moving from one posture to another — the vinyasa (aka “flow”) aspect of Ashtanga (which is applicable to all Ashtanga derivatives out there — in other words, pretty much all vinyasa classes taught around the world).
PRINCIPLE #1: there is more than one way to do everything!
Over these 15 years of teaching asana I’ve had the good fortune to work with thousands of different individuals on the mat. In doing so, one of the most common challenges I’ve encountered is the closed-mindedness many folks place on themselves by thinking that there is one “right way” to engage in a posture. This mindset forces us into a box - a very small, cramped, unhelpful box. A box that actually causes suffering – the very thing we’re learning to minimize in our lives through our practice.
I think there are many reasons for this (and it goes back to before social media, so we can’t just blame it on that as is so commonly done these days) with a major one being that most classes are taught to a group of people without the opportunity for individualized instruction and another being that when there is that opportunity, such as in the Mysore room, folks often overhear what’s being offered to one person and then think that they need apply that to themselves. So, I’m here to tell you that there is more than one [good/valid/useful/appropriate/right] way to do each and every posture (and to transition between them), so don’t box yourself in! My wish for you is that you feel liberated to find the version that works for you and roll with it, while remaining open and at ease with the changes that will inevitably come.
PRINCIPLE #2: Find purpose and connection within the flow.
When we’re moving through a vinyasa sequence, for example, the nine postures of surya namaskara A, each posture, in some way, sets us up for the next. A specific example of this that often gets completely overlooked is the movement from trini (3rd position) to chatwari (4th position - plank/chatarunga). When we inhale into the trini position we are positioning the upper body for the chatwari position. We have the opportunity to take advantage of the forward position of our upper body and the transition of weight into our arms and shoulders such that we may move the lower body back and down into the chatwari position with lightness and grace. So, take your time and look for the purpose and connection within the flow.
PRINCIPLE #3: Let breath take the lead and follow it.
This is a huge one – your breath is the leader. Let your breath start just-ever-so-sligthly before your movement and end just-ever-so-slightly after. Stretch your breath! Sometimes we start off on point and then completely lose it. That’s OK, that’s dharana/meditation – noticing the loss of focus and bringing it back. The more you can bring this principle into your movement practice the smoother (and safer!) the entire experience will be. If this is new to you, don’t beat yourself up over it. Start with the sun salutations (lifting the arms overhead is a good place to start) and try and remind yourself to check in frequently to see if this principle is still with you as you move through your practice. If it’s not, stop, take a breath or two and bring it back in.
PRINCIPLE #4: Streamline your movements - get efficient!
Fidgeting is one of our biggest detractors when it comes to a meditative practice. These unnecessary movements of your body may be associated with multiple vrttis within your mind. And we are working to “yogaś citta vritti nirodhah” (Yoga Sutra 1.2) minimize the whirlings of thought within our minds so that we can “tadā drastuh svarūpe-vasthānam” (Yoga Sutra 1.3) experience our true nature.
PRINCIPLE #5: LEAD from your center (not the hands/feet).
Movement into and out of asanas is most stable and dynamic when it originates from your center. And uddiyana bandha is invaluable when it comes to developing a center/core integrated practice. A great example of this can be found early in the practice when we come into utthita trikonasana (extended triangle) and even more so in paravritta trikonasana (revolved triangle). So often I see folks leading with their hands rather than engaging down through the low belly and allowing the movement to initiate there. Looking at the movement into revolved triangle specifically, engage uddiyana (your core), start the movement from your low belly upward along the spine and let the shoulders, then arms, then hands follow. Exiting the posture, same thing, start from the low belly and let the rest of the body follow. It’s a completely different experience!
PRINCIPLE #6: Stick the landing!
Think Simone Biles coming off the vault. She knows where she’s going and she doesn’t hesitate. If she does (hesitate) all is lost. We can learn a lot from this approach. It’s how we can jump through, sit down, place one leg in position, catch the front foot — all on the inhale – and then exhale into the posture (think januśirsasana A). You can do this in three steps: (1) collect yourself (my friend Jen René says this and I love it); (2) move toward midline; (3) engage mula and uddiyana bandha; and hit the mark. Also, keep in mind that jalandhara (throat lock) bandha does have a role to play in our asana practice. It is not engaged fully (because that only happens on inhale retention and we don’t retain breath in the asana practice), but it is engaged partially in many places throughout the practice and can be very supportive of maintaining energetic integrity.
Now, again, this doesn’t happen right away, in fact it takes years of practice. But you can start with the postures you’re most comfortable with and progress from there.
PRINCIPLE #7: Let your legs do their own work.
Your legs can move themselves. So often we get into the pattern of using the arms to yank the leg(s) into position, but most of the time this is unnecessary, not to mention a recipe for injury. It’s quite simple to bring this principle into your practice and set new, healthier movement patterns. Start taking note of each time your arms reach for a leg to move it, stop yourself and see how much of that movement you can accomplish without the arms. And know that with repeated effort (i.e., practice) your legs can gain in their ability to put themself where they need to be.
PRINCIPLE #8: Ease into it / Slow down.
There is often underlying fear involved in taking on the transitions. Fear of falling on one’s face, fear of failure, fear of embarrassment, and so on. And, especially when we don’t feel “good” at it we just want to get it over with. The combination of fear and anxiety seems to often culminate in rushing through the process and hoping no one notices. This is the opposite of what will serve us and generally sends proper breathing right out the window. One of the most useful things you can do in these situations is to spend a bit of time analyzing what it is you’re trying to do, maybe breaking it up into digestible pieces, slow down, and don’t drop the breath – rather add breath purposely where you need it and take your time developing the best version of the vinyasa/transition for you.
I dare say that the essence of our practice lies right here – because, for me, meditation is the essence of Ashtanga. I’ll defer here to a quote from Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche’s wonderful book “The Joy of Living” to help elucidate this point:
“Simply walking down the street can be a great opportunity to develop mindfulness. How often do you find yourself setting out on a particular task, like heading out to the grocery store or walking to a restaurant for lunch [or transitioning from janu A on the right side to the left side], and find yourself at the destination without even realizing how you got there? This is a classic example of allowing the crazy monkey mind to run riot, spinning out all sorts of distractions that not only keep you from experiencing the fullness of the present moment, but also rob you of the chance to focus and train your awareness.”