In our online classes, when you lose internet connectivity in the middle of the class, it results in certain agitation and discomfort. The same thing happens when we lose connectivity with ourselves.
Study of yoga helps us understand our true identity; therefore, when we are on the mat, we should disconnect ourselves from the different roles we play in the outer world. This dissociation is necessaryto make a stronger connection with ourselves. The props used in class and the position of specially chosen asanas helps us to proceed naturally to the detachment we arestriving for. Yet,sincereefforts should be made by us to deepen this respite and get maximum benefit out of the practice.
Unfortunately, we attend our classes with several preconceived notions and conditions. We want to move from one extreme to the other extreme – from stiffness to lightness or overweight to fit. But we are not willing to change our attitude and behaviour on the mat. How then can we expect a different result from the class?
For a start, after taking care of the initial physical technicalities in basic standing asanas like Prasarita Padottanasana, Trikonasana, Virabhadrasana 2, Parsvakonasana, focus on the breath and its path within the body. Observe the locations of the bodywhere you can feel your breath travelling and where it is not. This is how you learn to develop a breathful condition of the body.
Another common mistake we make is that we get into an asana with focussed breath, but later we forget to concentrate on our breath and just use aggression to get into the final pose. Hence, in the Iyengar system, there is a constant guideline given to help you find this rigidity in the body and breath, and the solution to come out of it.
Supine asanas like Supta Swastikasana, Savasana, Setubandha Sarvangasana with bolster along the spine, definitely help the physical body by expanding the chest and lower abdomen, and relaxing the eyes. We gain access to these locations which are usually cramped up and we can then breathe deeply. They too help with breathful asana practice.