This entry was posted on Jan 18, 2024 by Charlotte Bell.
Some years in the past, I led some yoga college students by a somewhat 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 pinnacle). After all, most individuals in my lessons really feel fairly versatile if their foot finally ends up inside just a few inches of their faces. And actually, that’s actually fairly versatile in comparison with the common individual on the road. Some may even assume 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 akin to Padmasana (Lotus Pose). I don’t take explicit pleasure on this; it’s not one thing I earned by arduous work. It’s merely a genetic variation I inherited from my gymnast father.
Yoganidrasana and the SI Joint
The directions for shifting into Yoganidrasana could be complicated to college students, most likely as a result of the pose has nothing in widespread with on a regular basis motion. Once I demonstrated Yoganidrasana, it was for readability. It was, in reality, useful to exhibit the model that most individuals can accomplish. This includes bending one knee towards the chest, putting the ankle within the bend of the other elbow and drawing the leg in towards the chest. As I supplied the choice—considerably jokingly—of slipping the ankle behind the pinnacle, it occurred to me to do what I’ve typically carried out: Exhibit.
For per 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 training alignment directions that I later discovered to be inappropriate. As well as, youthful enthusiasm impressed me to strive each “superior” pose I might drive myself into again within the Eighties. Consequently, my SI joint has grow to be 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. However, my SI joint misaligns simply and turns excruciatingly painful on the slightest provocation.
So this time, once I had the choice to exhibit Yoganidrasana, I selected the prudent path and opted out. By opting out, I saved myself SI hassle. However extra necessary, I walked my discuss. I might by no means encourage a scholar to push previous SI and sciatica ache. The one motivation I can consider for sliding my foot behind my head could 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 distinct definition of the “superior” yogi. Outlined class ranges (Degree 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 Degree 3 lessons) with no restrictions. However, a yogi with 30 years’ expertise could have been born with extra steady joints. Extra steady joints will typically not permit arms to be straight in Upward Bow. This individual wouldn’t be capable to 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 sophisticated yogi has the expertise to know when he/she is just too exhausted, injured or fragile to observe a specific 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 sophisticated yogi’s ego is in verify sufficient to know that what your physique can or can’t do is just not a measure of your dedication to yoga. The mature yoga practitioner is aware of that simply since you can do a specific pose doesn’t imply that you simply ought to.
Donna Farhi teaches that superior yogis could select to decide out of doing essentially the most “superior” variations of poses, somewhat than push themselves to the purpose of harm. Superior yogis are the individuals who know that yoga is just not about efficiency, however about freedom from the necessity to carry out. I’ve to agree. My determination to decide 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 instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the writer of Aware Yoga, Aware Life: A Information for On a regular basis Follow and Yoga for Meditators, each printed by Rodmell Press. Her third e book 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 gained two Emmy awards in 2010.
