Superior Yogi: It’s Not What You Assume

Some years in the past, I led some yoga college students by means of a slightly prolonged sequence of leg-stretching asanas primarily based on Supta Padanghustasana (Supine Massive Toe Pose). At the moment, I had at all times ended the sequence with a one-legged model of Yoganidrasana (ankles behind the top). After all, most individuals in my lessons really feel fairly versatile if their foot finally ends up inside a couple of inches of their faces. And actually, that’s actually fairly versatile in comparison with the common individual on the road. Some may even suppose that’s a sign of being a sophisticated yogi.

The orientation and depth of many individuals’s hip sockets won’t ever permit an Instagram star expression of the pose. I’m one of many few folks whose hip joints are amenable to Yoganidrasana, and to poses similar to Padmasana (Lotus Pose). I don’t take explicit pleasure on this; it’s not one thing I earned by means of onerous work. It’s merely a genetic variation I inherited from my gymnast father.

Yoganidrasana and the SI Joint

The directions for transferring into Yoganidrasana will be complicated to college students, most likely as a result of the pose has nothing in widespread with on a regular basis motion. After I demonstrated Yoganidrasana, it was for readability. It was, in truth, useful to reveal the model that most individuals can accomplish. This includes bending one knee towards the chest, putting the ankle within the bend of the alternative elbow and drawing the leg in towards the chest. As I provided the choice—considerably jokingly—of slipping the ankle behind the top, it occurred to me to do what I’ve typically finished: Show.

For every week previous to this class, I’d been fighting sacroiliac (SI) ache and sciatica. I attribute this to my genetically unfastened joints, together with years of practising alignment directions that I later discovered to be inappropriate. As well as, youthful enthusiasm impressed me to strive each “superior” pose I might power myself into again within the Eighties. Because of this, my SI joint has turn into fragile and unstable.

Trashing Your SI Joint Does Not Make Anybody an Superior Yogi

My SI joint is the proverbial canary within the coal mine for me. On one hand, it’s fairly helpful; it provides me fast suggestions when my alignment is ever-so-slightly unhealthy. I’ve discovered volumes about wholesome SI-joint alignment from residing with this extraordinarily delicate and communicative joint. Then again, my SI joint misaligns simply and turns excruciatingly painful on the slightest provocation.

So this time, after I had the choice to reveal Yoganidrasana, I selected the prudent path and opted out. By opting out, I saved myself SI bother. However extra vital, I walked my discuss. I might by no means encourage a pupil to push previous SI and sciatica ache. The one motivation I can consider for sliding my foot behind my head can be to show that I might do it, to point out my college students what an “superior yogi” I’m.

Why Class Ranges Don’t Work for Yoga

I’ve lengthy advocated for a unique definition of the “superior” yogi. Outlined class ranges (Stage 1, 2, 3 and 4) appear synthetic, limiting and inaccurate to me. Some folks come to yoga with our bodies that may do nearly each pose on the primary day. For instance, some folks can push up into Urdva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow) with straight arms (the requirement for coming into some Stage 3 lessons) with no restrictions. Then again, a yogi with 30 years’ expertise could have been born with extra secure joints. Extra secure joints will typically not permit arms to be straight in Upward Bow. This individual wouldn’t be capable of attend an “superior” class. These parameters don’t appear helpful to me.

What Is an Superior Yogi?

For me, a sophisticated yogi is one who has a two-way communication together with his/her physique—talking and listening. A complicated yogi has the expertise to know when he/she is simply too exhausted, injured or fragile to observe a selected pose. An skilled yogi is aware of that the diploma to which you’ll be able to stretch, the variety of Chaturangas (yoga push-ups) you are able to do, the size of time you may keep in Headstand, or having straight arms in Urdva Dhanurasana doesn’t matter within the grand scheme. A complicated yogi’s ego is in examine sufficient to know that what your physique can or can’t do shouldn’t be a measure of your dedication to yoga. The mature yoga practitioner is aware of that simply since you can do a selected pose doesn’t imply that you simply ought to.

Donna Farhi teaches that superior yogis could select to choose out of doing essentially the most “superior” variations of poses, slightly than push themselves to the purpose of damage. Superior yogis are the individuals who know that yoga shouldn’t be about efficiency, however about freedom from the necessity to carry out. I’ve to agree. My determination to choose out of Yoganidrasana tastes much more of freedom than wedging my ankle behind my head ever might.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and started educating in 1986. Charlotte is the writer of Aware Yoga, Aware Life: A Information for On a regular basis Observe and Yoga for Meditators, each printed by Rodmell Press. Her third guide is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and people sextet Crimson Rock Rondo, whose DVD received two Emmy awards in 2010.