ahhh...sana

Since taking the therapeutic intensive with Susi Hately and more recently an online anatomy course, my practice and teaching style has changed. As my knowledge of biomechanics improves and I continue to embrace yogic philosophy I evolve as a yogi. Currently, the word asana is catalyzing my perspective. Asana loosely translates into sitting still, comfortably and at ease, and in the past I used asana generically for yoga pose. This more authentic definition of asana has big implications for me because more often than not, I took my poses into the deepest modifications available. By no means is this a bad, but these modifications restricted my breathing and I forced me to compensated with muscles other than those intended for the movement(s) associated with a pose. Hmm.

I've also started to think about what causes my discomfort, how I can improve movement, and the difference between form and function. I can't address this in a single blog entry but it's certainly foremost in my mind when I practice and develop my classes. Lately, I'm thinking about how my cues land and how I can help my students find ease in their poses while improving their movement. But as always, I'm enjoying the challenge of sharing my revelations with my fellow yogis while refining my own yoga philosophy around some key principles of movement.