Beyond Posture

Asana (yoga postures) are only a small part of what constitutes as yoga. Any yet in a modern day yoga class asana will often take up 80-90% of the practice. So it’s no wonder that when people think of yoga, they inevitable link it to creating pretzel-like shapes with their body. No wonder the deeply transformative and spiritual benefits of a yoga practice are not being seen. 

In my humble opinion, the overemphasis of asana in yoga has almost completely destroyed the reputation of this incredibly profound and rich tradition. It’s time we reclaim the word ‘yoga’. 

I am a yoga practitioner. But truth is that I really don’t do much asana at all. One of my teachers, Octavio recommends that a yoga class should be about 1/3 asana. I practice with my teacher Rosie once a week. It is a three hour long class, and only about 45 minutes to an hour of that time will involve asana. The rest is working on the other aspects of yoga as outlined in Patanjali’s eight limbs of yoga. 

The eight limbs of yoga are;

1. Yama - controls; non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, intelligent use of sexual energy, non-coveting

2. Niyama - observances; purity, regular spiritual practice, contentment, self-study, connection to God

3. Asana - postures

4. Pranayama - breath work

5. Pratyahara - control of the senses

6. Dharana - focused concentration

7. Dhyana - meditative absorption

8. Samadhi - Bliss or enlightenment

I could spend hours on end talking about any one of these limbs. Integrating each of these limbs into one’s personal yoga practice and life off of the mat is a lifelong journey. This is why it’s particularly tricky to convey the fullness of yoga within a group yoga class. This is why yoga retreats and trainings are vital for one to gain a deeper understanding of yoga. 

I invite you once again to read over the eight limbs and contemplate your relationship to each of these aspects. For example; what does non-violence (ahimsa) mean to you? How could you invite more of this into you life? Perhaps that will be through being kinder to yourself and the people in you life. Perhaps that will be through re-evaluating the foods and goods that you consume, striving to leave a less violent impact on the world around you. 

Take your time to read over each of the eight limbs and revisit them regularly. I personally have written out the eight limbs and have them on my wall so that I can look at them and contemplate them regularly. As my first teacher Idit would say, if you aren’t practicing all of the eight limbs, you’re not really practicing yoga. 

All my love, 

Cat