In the beginning, there was only Raj (Raja) Yog
(Yoga). This consisted of a single sitting pose used in meditation. Throughout
the years, various standing, sitting, and supine poses (asanas), as well
as breathing exercises known as pranayama, were added to help facilitate
the meditative practice. Now-a-days, people confuse some of these difficult
and dramatically visual and physically challenging asanas for the true
essence of Yoga. Learning and practicing proper breathing and meditative
techniques, as well as the proper positioning for asanas is very important.
One of the most important factors is knowing yourself.
How to choose the level that is appropriate
for you
Yoga is not a competitive sport. The asanas in
beginner, intermediate and advanced classes are accessible to all yogis,
yet they are not always recommendable for everyone. The difference will
be the degree to which you might be able to hold a pose. Some beginner
yogis have natural abilities that they have cultivated through other activities.
This allows them to learn and perform certain asanas much more rapidly
and with greater ease than other yogis who have been practicing for years.
The true spirit of our asanas is in the intention.
One of the most basic poses, Tudasuna (standing forward bend), is a perfect
example of how experience and levels do not really apply to Yoga. While
some people can touch their palms to the floor the first time they bend
over, others might find it nearly impossible to reach their toes after
months of practice. If a beginner looks at the floor as an unattainable
goal, that floor will always remain out of reach. Yet, if you believe that
one day you will reach the floor, and each practice you work towards that
goal, then eventually you will reach it. The same is true for all other
asanas. If your intention is to get there, and you work towards that goal,
you are practicing yoga perfectly.
If you resist any asana, then this resistance
forms a part of your intention and the floor will never be achieved because
it does not form a part of your true goal, your true intention. Yoga is
a practice of the mind and spirit more than of the body. The body is the
medium through which we practice control and awareness, thus opening the
heart to achieve a deep sense of inner balance and peace. Much in the same
way, the practice of a calm mind and the spirit is the medium through which
we help the body reach the pinnacle of any asana. By finding a balance
between the two, we reach our own perfection. Thus, there is no level we
can join that will assure us of this balance. A beginner has the potential
to find this balance as much as a well experienced yogi.
The terms beginner, intermediate and advanced
are really deceptive terms. This is why it is very important to be aware
of our own personal strengths and abilities. We all have the potential
to be a perfect yogi, and yet physically and mentally no two people are
exactly alike. You must ask yourself:
- Am I ready to try each pose to the
best of my ability?
- Am I prepared to accept my own limitations?
- Am I prepared to push myself beyond my current
limitations and abilities?
- Am I willing to accept my limitations and rest
when needed, without judgment or shame?
- Am I prepared to love myself based on my limitations
and abilities?
- Am I prepared to accept and celebrate my true
potential?
