Holding the pose means holding the action in an asana. Holding the pose without action is merely arajasic form of massaging your ego. In our classes, we focus on being aware of the action happening in the asanas. We practise learning to penetrate in the pose to progress from postures to asanas.
Usually,when we are being photographed, we hold the pose with a lot of will and volition. Imagine you are being photographed, not from the outside but from within. Every asana is like an X-ray of your body and mind.
In Chapter 2, Sadhana Pada of the Patanjali Yoga Darshana, Patanjali talks about Kleshas or afflictions – Avidya, Asmita, Raga, Dvesha, Abhinivesa. The first Klesha is Avidya or ignorance. We must stop practising asanas with ignorance, as this only boosts the ego. We are no longer doing asanas but poses. It is absolutely fine to do poses, but if we are true followers of yogasanas, then this ignorance is not an option. Wemust focus and ask ourselves the question – why? Why am I not able to do an asana? We must penetrate within to progress. The experience felt is so unique and precious, that we will want to prolong it and replay it through practice. The “I” (ego) in us declines and eventually disappears.
Ignorance in asanas can be dueto two factors – either we are not able to follow the teacher’s instructions and are doing poses superficially or the mind is overpowering us, gravitating towards the past or future. Yogasanas demandus to be in the present, so that we can think mindfully about the changes we need to make. This change is a meditative process like a lotusbud coming into full bloom by the rays of the sun. The rays of intelligence will overpower the body and touch the mind.
The preparation for yogasanastarts with proper eating and sleeping habits, two days before the class. After that, come the warm-ups that prepare you for the class and the instructions. These instructions help you to focus on the action in every asana; holding the pose just enhances the action and imprints it on your body and mind.Are you prepared to get into yogasana?