Do you practice asanas with the same attitude you apply to work or other sporting activities? discussion in Asanas at Yoga Teaching Subjects/Topics at Yoga Teaching Forum - the premier forum for discussion between students and teachers involved in yoga teacher training Do you practice asanas with the same attitude you apply to work or other sporting activities?


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Do you practice asanas with the same attitude you apply to work or other sporting activities?

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Rod
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Mar 27, 2004, 8:12 AM

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Do you practice asanas with the same attitude you apply to work or other sporting activities?	Can't Post

Just, to recap I have been doing Hatha yoga now for several years and more recently took it up as a compliment to my action orientated extreme sport - downhill mountain bike riding.

Now the intent of downhill mountain bike riding is to be fast - speed is what matters - push the bike faster - of course it nice not to fall off!!

Guess, I have noticed over time that, in my Yoga practice I have had a preference for 'fast' action orientated practice - ie ashtanga style.

However, I question myself about this, would it be a better approach to focus my yoga practice in a slow and relaxed manner (other types of yoga rather than ashtanga or dynamic yoga etc - non-sweating?) so that my body is allowed to recover (take a rest) after a series of intensive mountain bike training? When I think about, I know I need yoga training on concentration, breathing more so than on the physical part, since I should have 'sufficient' exercises out of my mountain bike training.

When I'm doing yoga - I must be mindful that perhaps the best policy is not to push myself hard, harder, hardest( like going down a hill)

Does this provide insight on how you approach your yoga practice? Should the approach you're taking to yoga differs from the approach you take to your other training or work? - Should we take time to get what drives our students? Do you think the sports your students do prior to yoga provide insights to the way they may approach their yoga practice? I know how difficult it can be for me to shift my mindset, however- when I give it a go- I find it very gratifying.

Thanks for your guidance.

Namaste,

Rod
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Yoga is a light; which, once lit, will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter the flame.
--BKS Iyengar

Bonnie
Forum Advanced Yogi / Moderator

Mar 31, 2004, 10:36 AM

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Re: [Rod] Do you practice asanas with the same attitude you apply to work or other sporting activities? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Wow there was alot of questions in that.

No I don't practice asana with the same attitude I apply to my work and other sport I have a much better attitude to asana and I do try to extend that attitude to other things however it does not always happen. For example I play on a soccer team and while I always start my practice with some warm up exercises I don't always start a soccer game warmed up. Which I know is very bad and I really do try to warm up every time but sometimes I get caught in collecting money and other things. Always in asana I amd thinking about the asana where as my mind wanders alot in other things

Yes I think the sports or activities people do before they come to yoga very much affect the way the aproach their yoga and can also too give alot of clues on what their body needs in yoga. I have said before that my back ground is Ballet and dance. What I really like in yoga is the form of the poses, the disipline and what goes on in the body ie which parts are being worked and which parts are stoping the pose for going any further. I started yoga in an Iyenga style which I think is a prefect transition from dance I have now moved to a more classical style of yoga which I find even better and more interesting but I often wonder if I had started yoga with what I am doing now wether I would have liked it as much. I think we should take the time to get to know these kinds of things about our students so that you can help keep them interested and gaining things out of the class. If I have a class where teach tells us what to do and no what is going on or does not explain whats going on I get boared very quickly. I don't need a class to be fast but I need alot of explaining and interesting bits of information, things I didn't know before.

I have been doing a bit of yoga with my mum at the end of anything we do I always get her to do some form of meditaion or pranayma, she hates them, she is such a fast paced person she really has trouble stopping altogether, though we continue to work on this I have found that something like a sun salutaion is far more effective, she stops and her mind stops. Only when the are moveing if that makes sence. I could give her a softer and slower practice which I know would be good for her but a. I would loose her interest and b. she would probably be less relaxed from all the resisting. I think you do need to listen to what people need to a certin extent even if it just so you can help them move beyond it.

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