September 2008

Committee Area

Extract from Yoga Scotland Magazine September 2008

Flexibility and Yoga

By Lesley Wallace

A colleague at work, on finding out I had qualified as a yoga teacher, said to me ‘So you can put your leg behind your head then? I assured her I cannot, but she remains unconvinced. Such is the general view of yoga, equating it with flexibility, but why has this come about? There is nothing in the yoga sutras about flexibility. The only thing Patanjali has to say about posture is ‘sthira sukham asanam’ (Sadhana Pada, II.46), often translated as ‘posture should be steady and comfortable’.

Even as an experienced yoga practitioner, it is easy to confuse flexibility with good yoga practice, although we know that good yoga practice is invisible to the observer, relying as it does on the attunement of the individual with the capabilities of their own unique body. But still, we may go to a new class and find a part of ourselves impressed by particular forward bends and backbends, without knowing anything of the history or natural flexibility of the person we are observing.

Many naturally supple people are drawn to yoga, finding it easier than others to achieve the form of a perfect asana. Dancers particularly are often attracted to yoga, and with their long hamstrings seem at an advantage. But it is important to remember the enormous amount of individual variation; not everyone is destined to become a lithe and supple yoga bunny, no matter how much yoga they do.
Over-emphasis on stretching can be dangerous, as there must be a balance between stretch and strength for optimal joint health. Too much flexibility is as bad as too little, and can lead to joint destabilisation.

My own experience of the dangers of over-stretching was a salutary lesson; after a period of several weeks focussing on forward bending (paschimotanasana, janu sirsasana) in my own personal practice, I felt I had finally conquered what I found a particularly troublesome type of asana. I was able to fold almost flat. After one particular practice, I stood up, only to find myself wobbling on my legs like a new-born foal. The experience was short-lived, but frightening enough to make me change my focus and question why this flexibility was so important to me. As a trainee yoga teacher at the time, I wanted to be able to teach in front of students, confident in the knowledge that I would look like a proper’ yoga teacher. And that brings us to the heart of the matter - the ego.

How many times have you tried to stretch that little bit further? How many times have you decided in advance what you would like to achieve, how far you would like to be able to reach? How often have you started your yoga practice with the idea of improving on the postures you did yesterday, or last week? How attached are you to the idea that you can achieve good alignment and maybe even that you are ‘good at yoga’? In each of these cases, there is reference to an external, and a moving away from internal awareness and being in the moment. The next time you are in a forward bend, notice the tendency to determine in advance how far you will be able to reach. This is the natural and normal working of the ego, which is concerned with goals, achievement and planning. But it isn’t yoga.

Each posture you do is unique; the asana you do today is not the asana you did yesterday, or the day before. It is essential to be present, and without expectations. This may be easy to say, but it is surprisingly difficult to achieve. This is why the focus on the breath is so important, being the bridge between the body and the mind. From time to time, if we can maintain our focus, we may achieve true yoga; the union of mind, body and spirit. We must also be honest with ourselves. Are we focussing too much on those postures we enjoy and that come more easily to us? Are we avoiding those that make us uncomfortable or make us work harder than we would like? A balanced practice includes strength- building asanas as well as those that promote flexibility.

When we work in this way, with balance and the proper focus, flexibility comes safely as a natural consequence of our practice, and not as a result of goal-setting.

I explained to my colleague that really yoga isn’t about flexibility I suggested she try it sometime. ‘Oh I can’t’, she said, ‘Don’t you have to be really thin to do yoga?’ But that’s a whole different article.

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