The progress during the initial period of asana practice is dependent on a person’s constitution, his personality and his physical and psychological state. Performing asanas with the understanding of the science behind it, helps to prepare the right routine according to the season and the time of the day. The choice of asanas is based on this science and not one’s own free will and state of mind on any particular day. A student cannot just stop doing an asana because of boredom or incapability to perform it. This is where a teacher steps in – to provide the motivation and inner drive for constant long-term practice.
Long-term practice requires the student to go through three stages:
- addressing the pose
- holding the pose
- observing the changes that happen after holding the pose
Attaining all the three stages on their own is a near-impossible task for most of students. One needs a teacher to provide constant instructions, guidance and hold us in times when we almost give up. If a student tries to achieve these stages on his own, he might end up with injuries. These injuries are usually psychological rather than physical.
Younger Generation and Need for a Teacher
Today’s generation is in desperate need of a teacher to help them to move ahead in yogasana. This is because of lack of patience and tolerance in today’s youngsters, which may result in frustration leading to self-abuse rather than self-compassion.
Long-term practice demands a connectivity to the body in terms of its strengths as well as its weaknesses and drawbacks. Only then can one get into the math of practice and work on the routines intelligently. Asana practice is a step-by-step process of learning with observation and contemplation. If asanas are performed only to benefit the physical body, we may fall into the endless trap of doing visually-perfect poses one day, and may be unable to repeat them on other days. This will draw us into a vicious cycle of frustration, anxiety, hopelessness and instability.
That is why one needs to learn under a teacher during the initial period, which again may vary for every student – from a few months for some to many years for others (the reason why Guruji never gave a certificate).
The Time a Practitioner would take
The journey of a student to connect to himself (the bonding between the practitioner and his practice) can be time- consuming. Initially, The practitioner is overenthusiastic, experiences highs and lows, and has no clarity of the practice. The journey is to reach a neutral state from the point of overenthusiasm. A student knows he has reached a neutral state when he starts thinking in terms of
- decisions like the best-suited time for one’s practice
- realising the difference between the right and left side of the body
- forwards and backbends
- difficulties in standing poses
- inaccessibility in the twisting
In this process, we need somebody to get the work done from us and that is why teachers are important. A teacher is expected to teach in such a manner that they do not interfere in the space but at the same time give the required eligibility and required information about the technique and technicalities so a steady interest is developed in the student. A teacher must be careful that one does not push the ego too much.
That is why in the initial process is about touching the poses and coming out of the poses in a very playful manner when you get connected to the body. A teacher is very important to put you on the right track where the practice of asanas is concerned not philosophically or psychologically. The teacher should have a sound knowledge about how to connect the students to their body. Learning from a teacher for the initial years of one practice is extremely important to get the discipline and to understand the value of every pose because that is foundation for practice that comes after probably 15 to 20 years of your life.