I always start class by saying not to judge yourselves.....If you are comparing yourself to others, to what you could do when you were younger, or whatever, then stop! Instead, understand that these postures of Ashtanga Yoga are just tools to learn about ourselves, tools to heighten inner sensation, to feel our body. The postures are never meant to be goals in themselves. In fact we never really master a posture. Instead, when we practice, the real intention is to bring awareness into every cell of our body....This body awareness can happen in any posture, so there’s no need to try to do ‘advanced’ postures.....
Almost all Ashtangis struggle with some of the postures, and the struggle is meant to be a teacher. Wherever you meet your challenge is where your yoga begins. If someone needs a more ‘advanced’ posture to find their edge, then that’s their edge. If you find your edge in the first breath of the practice consider yourself lucky. You don’t need to go in search of more extreme postures in order to generate one of the deepest benefits of yoga.....to learn that we are always in transition, everything is temporary.....by keeping the breath and mind calm and steady, turning our focus inwards and finding the stillness in a posture, we can learn to be present and equanimous through uncontrollable and chaotic experiences.....that is the beauty of true genuine yoga
This is one of the seven headstands of the Intermediate Series. They’re often known as the "seven deadlies" and it's taken me several years to get here.....We don’t start the intermediate series until the primary series is executed fully.....So everything is a progression. But we have to take it slowly, not rushing, being present in the here and now, not thinking about the next goal.....Once we’ve built the foundations the other more challenging postures will follow naturally with deep rooted stability and stillness....
