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Why Mastering Yoga Postures is a Myth and How Each Posture is a Journey.

March 20, 2016 By Monica Stone 2 Comments

Have you ever been so obsessed with a posture, and you just wanted so bad to master it?

Like, you practice it over and over. You even obsess about it in your sleep.

When you’re watching television you think:

“I’ll just practice getting my leg over my head now. Maybe if I just sit in pigeon for an hour, I’ll finally open up. Let me Google it again. There’s gotta be a blog or video with that one trick to help me! Maybe if I go on a juice fast I’ll finally bind my hands in Supta Kurmasana.”

Or what about when you finally do it, but then you can’t seem to replicate it?

Been there! Done that!

Yes, I have been that obsessed with postures.

That’s how it was when I first started my practice.

See, in Ashtanga Mysore style, you add on posture by posture through the instruction of your teacher over a period of time.

I hear some people say they are “stopped or stuck in a posture.”

We need to stop saying that.

When you go to school, you don’t say you’re stopped at algebra. Or, your stopped at science. It’s just where you are. So, let’s change our thinking. You are just where you are.

You are learning, gaining more awareness, getting to know yourself one step at a time.  

This can happen in led classes, too. Since you’re practicing the same postures each time, you become very aware of the ones that seem impossible, and that’s usually where your effort and mind goes. 

“How can I crunch into this posture? Let me look at the person next to me who perfectly compacts herself into this little pretzel. There’s gotta be some trick that I’m just not getting! Ugh, my arms just aren’t long enough.” 

Some people think of mastery as replicating the shape of a posture you see in a picture.

If you think of it in terms of how the posture looks, then this will be a lonnnnnng road ahead!

It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it just has to be good enough, and then you just keep on growing and improving. 

This is why you can’t compare yourself to anyone else!

Here’s what I mean:

♥ If it’s just about looks, you’re going to feel like you’re stuck. If you think you’re stuck on the mat, then you’ll be stuck off the mat. You’re creating that mindset in life too.

♥ What you create on the mat, you bring into your life. Rather than thinking of it as being stuck, you need to accept where you are, and enjoy learning from it. 

It’s not about more postures, or how they look. It’s about how postures can help you.

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♥ You want to be thinking about how to find peace where you are. How can you breathe gracefully through any situation? If you can’t breathe easy, then the work is to get to a place where you can.

I can promise you that getting your leg behind your head or pressing up into a handstand isn’t going to bring you closer to peace and enlightenment!

All postures are shapes, and every posture needs to be appreciated as a journey:

Each time you do a posture, you take a small step on the path.

So, if you’re just starting Urdvha Dhanurasana (backbends), and you can only press up to your head, then that is one step. Keep breathing and doing that until you can lift up a little more. 

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Then, eventually you straighten your arms. 

Then, you find more openness and strength inside, and you can start to walk your hands in. 

Your legs get stronger, and you can hold it longer. 

Then, the panic and dread of backbends goes away.

2016-02-25 08.53.03

See what I did there? 

There is always somewhere to go. There is always more to learn. 

Eventually, you’ll be able to come into it deeper, and maybe take the shape you see in the picture, but that’s still not mastery.

In fact, every time I practice, it feels completely new to me.

It wasn’t until years later when Janu Shirsanana really started to open my hips.

Screen Shot 2016-03-19 at 6.43.54 PM

It was only recently that I realized if you really press strong through the shoulders and hand in Parivritta Trikonasana, then I find total freedom in my center to twist. 

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If I really reach through my fingertips in Utthita Trikonasana, then I can feel space open between my shoulders. 

Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 12.46.29 PM

These are postures I’ve been doing since the beginning, but as I become more aware, and my body opens and changes, so does the posture.

 

It’s not just about the physical movement, but about the mind and deep layers of emotion, too.

Sometimes I easily come into a posture, but feel a new anxiety in my heart, or an overwhelming feeling of comfort and love that I’ve been longing for.

So, if it’s completely moving and changing, then how can you ever possibly master a posture?

It’s not about looks. It can’t be. It’s gotta be about what’s going on in the mind and heart.

It’s a journey. Not a destination.

I had a teacher in a class recently that kept repeating…

“Breathe life into the posture. Make sure the posture works for you. Is the posture alive with expansiveness and breath, or are you tight and constricted? The breath is what gives your practice purpose.”

Some postures are NOT easy.

When I work on Pasasana, I sometimes feel like I can barely breathe. But, you have to become aware enough to figure out how to access your breath.

It’s not always about pulling back – but it’s about finding stillness in the moment.

Yesterday I was called on stage to help during a speech at a conference, and I was really nervous. It’s never bad once I get going, but I always get these thoughts beforehand about backing out.

I know that’s silly, so I just use my breath to calm down. I breathe through it, and it’s always okay.

It’s like that with the postures, too. How can you learn to just find the calmness in your mind and body so you can breathe, and make it through?

How can you let go of any panic, and relax the part of your body that’s tight? It might be from pulling back a little, but it also might be right where you are, and within you at that moment.

So, where are you in your practice?

Are you pushing, pulling, and frustrated? Are you feeling stuck? Do you find yourself breathing fast, holding your breath, or even grunting?

That is not yoga.

So, it’s not really about mastering postures. It’s about mastering life. It’s about mastering uncertainty. It’s about non-attachment. 

It’s about finding that freedom in your body and expansiveness in your breath even when things feel impossible.

It’s about enjoying the process even when it’s scary. 

Once you’ve mastered that, then you’re ready for the next lesson.

 

monica xxo

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Daily Life, Instruction

Monica Stone

About Monica Stone

Monica is a lover of all things yoga, a vegetarian, an avid tea drinker, and never gets sick of soup and noodle dishes. She teaches yoga, practices daily, and runs a Spiritual Book Club in Orlando, FL. She likes to challenge the strict rules of yoga, and makes it accessible for everyone - especially people who suffer from daily life and work stress.

« How to Fit Yoga Into Your Hectic Schedule
The 7 Headstands of the Ashtanga Yoga Intermediate Series (Plus the Learn Headstand in 10 Day Challenge!) »

Hi! I’m Monica

Monica StoneWell hello there! I'm Monica. I'm a yoga & meditation teacher (and junkie). I teach yoga practices that are quick and effective for the busy person who just needs a few minutes of quiet time in their day. Click around and you'll find quick meditation tips for calming the mind to simple stretches to relieve stress and tension. If you are sick of being intimidated by yoga or just confused by all of the different styles out there - then this page is for you. Yoga helps me daily & I know it will help you too! I'll show you how! Welcome to The Yogi Movement :)

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Testimonials

  • Jaime ShearerJaime ShearerYoga Student Since 2012

    Monica is dedicated to her own practice and the true path of yoga - the one of personal experience - which makes her an outstanding teacher. She is warm and easy to talk with, and she allows the student to have their own experience on the mat. She explains postures and breath in ways that are understandable so that the student "gets it." She makes yoga real and tangible in ways that truly serve the student. Work with Monica. You'll be glad you did.

  • Jacob AbercrombieJacob AbercrombieYoga Student Since 2011

    have always wanted to try yoga, but was always nervous. Monica took that fear away and made me feel like i was the only one in class with a room full of strangers. She is able to work with multiple students during the same move and still make it a personalized class for one.

  • Serena JonesSerena JonesYoga Student Since 2010

    Monica has been a highly influential teacher to me. She creates a safe environment for learning and practice. I have always felt grounded in her classes, and she pushes me beyond my own expectations. She inspires and motivates! I can't imagine my life without sharing a path with her!

  • Angela OrofinoAngela OrofinoYoga Student Since 2011

    Monica is a caring, wise, thoughtful, and talented yoga instructor. She has an in-depth knowledge of the philosophy and spirituality of Ashtanga yoga. My previous yoga experience had mostly just been at my local gym. Luckily, last year I found Monica. She has been guiding my practice at least once a week since then. As a newcomer to Ashtanga yoga, Monica made me feel comfortable and had the patience to teach me the basics. She also encouraged me to start an at home practice so that I was able to obtain a deeper understanding of Ashtanga. Monica is always encouraging and lets me know in subtle ways when she feels that I am ready to move deeper into my practice. I feel that the growth in my practice over the last year has been tremendous. Not only do I notice the change in me but others around me do as well. I am so grateful to have found Monica!

  • Sasha TamarSasha TamarYoga Student Since 2012

    I’ve come across many a yoga instructor over the years, but Monica stands out as genuinely amiable, as she glows with an infectious inner light, and highly devoted to and passionate about her practice. Her dedication to Ashtanga as a lifestyle is very clear, and creates for a contagious motivating force. Every time I’ve practiced with her, she eagerly transmits her devotion and passion of Ashtanga and meditation to everyone in class; she makes the most fledgling beginner feel at home, and simultaneously challenges the more advanced students. While I only practice Ashtanga with her, I know she provides therapeutic yoga sessions as well as meditation. And, if her methods of guiding students out of the Ashtanga vigor into the more meditative savasana are indicative of her meditational techniques, I’d recommend her to anyone

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