Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Iyengar Yoga: The Uttanasana and Me

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Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Iyengar Yoga:
The Uttanasana and Me

EnglishGoethe
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Jan 19, 2003, 3:23 PM

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The Uttanasana and Me	Can't Post

Hi There,

I'm a beginner, and I was wondering if anyone has any words of advice when starting out. Recently, I've been working on the Uttanasana, a post that seemed completely out of reach--ever! :) I'm not there yet, but I'm at least able to touch the ground with my fingertips, and I can imagine that one day I'll actually be able to perform the Uttanasana.

I'm amazed that people are able to stretch that way, drawing up their torsos close to their knees. For those that are able to do this, have you always been flexible, or did it take a long time? Can anyone learn to do that over time, or do you have to be physiologically constructed in a way that permits greater flexiblity than most seem to have?

For those who have practiced for a long time, I'm curious what benefits you've seen. Iyengar seems to think that one can remain fit just from Yoga, but most people think that that requires the standard aerobic exercise and strength training. What do you think?

From the time that you started, how long did it take before you felt that you'd achieved a certain level of proficiency with the asanas?

Do you see Yoga primarily as a physical discipline, or have you seen any benefits from taking it further into meditation?

Thanks,

Steve

Gabriel
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Jan 20, 2003, 11:40 AM

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Re: The Uttanasana and Me [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi Steve

As my teacher always says to me : "stop looking at the other people in the class ![grin]"

Flexibility is genetic - all you can do is see how much further you can go since last time. Same for speed of progress, proficiency - they are all relative depending on what age and state you start from.

As for being 'fit' - it depends what you mean, yoga can only help to limited extent with running or lifting heavy objects. After 10+ years of doing yoga I've decided eclecticism is a good thing - yoga's benefits in this area are definitely overplayed these days.

Yoga, says Mr Iyengar, is meditation in action. This means you can 'take it further' no matter what pose you are doing, even tadasana.

Good luck!

EnglishGoethe
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Jan 20, 2003, 11:53 AM

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Hi Gabriel,

Thanks for your message. I love what your teacher said. <laugh>

After practicing for over ten years, what keeps you going? How has Yoga made a difference in your life? I'm intrigued by the idea of Yoga as meditation in action. What changes have you seen in yourself since you started?

Thanks,

Steve

spangled
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Jan 21, 2003, 6:50 AM

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Re: The Uttanasana and Me [In reply to]	Can't Post

Uttanasana will happen for you in the way you describe, if you practise regularly, although I would suggest bending the knees slightly to get a better release in the lower back, and possibly clasping your elbows rather than reaching for the ground.

Forward bends are still difficult for me, but progress does happen over time.

This is not to say that in a yoga sense, your uttanasana cannot be highly advanced, even if you do not appear very flexible externally.

The ability to stay at the edge of your possibilities for the appropriate period of time (tenacity, coupled with realistic expectations), without pushing yourself beyond your limit (not greedy) or hurting yourself (not violent) is integral to what yoga is all about. It also yields the best outward results in terms of flexibility.

This is where yoga gets it's seemingly magical ability to translate lessons learned in the body directly to the mind. This is because body and mind train each other, in tandem, like two horses pulling a chariot. It is quite amazing that the qualities listed above (in brackets) can be absorbed simply by a repeated physical exercise. And its because there are no short cuts. You are not allowed to fool yourself. That's the trick.

(This post was edited by spangled on Jan 21, 2003, 6:53 AM)

emjay
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Jan 24, 2003, 9:49 AM

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Re: The Uttanasana and Me [In reply to]	Can't Post

Steve,

In my 14 years of practice, 9 years of teaching, and with the help of some great instructors, I've come to realize that yoga is less about getting somewhere and more about being where you are. That's not to say we don't want to progress, to expand our boundaries - we do. But we must first learn how abide in the moment, to fully explore ourselves where we are here and now.

I was a professional skier and hence came to yoga with a lot of tightness and tension. Combine that with my natural body type and I'll probably never achieve Guruji Iyengar's Uttanasana. And that's exactly as it should be - that's his pose, mine is my pose. They are both Uttanasana, it doesn't matter if my hands lay flat on the floor or whatever. As one of my teachers reminds us: "I've been to the floor and there's nothing there!"

The idea is to find your pose and make it the best it can be, to practice with a burning desire (tapas) coupled with contentment (santosha) or non-attachment to outcome, and to do the pose with a sense of personal ahimsa (non-violence) so as not to injure yourself and create space and freedom in the body. For example, in Uttanaasana, we want to bend forward at the hip joints (not at the waist) without disturbing the integrity of the spine too much, particularly the lower back - that could injure the disks. You don't want to compress the front body too much - it adversely affects the breathing and the health of the organs in the torso. Think of elongating the spine and releasing into the forward bend as opposed to pulling yourself too strongly downward in order to reach the "perfect pose."

And remember to have fun and enjoy the journey. There's no need to take yoga or yourself too seriously. The benefits of practice are varied and come with patience and perseverance.

Namaste,

Emjay

danny
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Feb 10, 2003, 7:45 AM

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Re: The Uttanasana and Me [In reply to]	Can't Post

Steve,

As someone who took up yoga just a year ago I can symapthise. There are really good replies here about how yoga is a balance between the desire to progress, and the need for yoga to be a 'comfortable, steady pose'. So my tuppence worth is

a. You'll be amazed how quickly you become more flexible - especially if like me you suffer from tight hamstrings

b. The best advice my teacher gave me is there is no perfect asana - only the asana you do each day. At the start your body shapes the asana, and then after a while, (and regular pracice) the asana starts to shape your body.

Enjoy!

Dan

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