Yoga asana practice is a continuous process of growing, evolving and setting new goals for oneself. Those who indulge in self-practice often start off with a goal. This goal can be different for different people. Some may want to achieve the perfect alignment in an asana, some may wish to become more agile and flexible while some might be in search of a few moments of peace and calm. Yoga asana practice will make us work hard for our respective goals while also teaching us to be patient and kind to our own selves. While everybody’s self-practice can be completely different from one another, it is very important to undertake the right kind of practice in the right direction.
Asanas are a process of attaining a particular posture through the movement of our joints with the help of muscles. Therefore, in order to protect our joints, it is imperative that we engage and activate our muscles. The important question here is whether our self-practice is leading us towards peace or towards pain? Asana practice should relieve pain and not cause it. One must learn how to activate their muscles or a particular group of muscles to attain the right alignment in a posture/asana. Our skeleton is protected by muscles. How many times do you hear the term “engage your core” and wonder what it truly means? Does “engaging your core” mean that we suck our belly in? Do we also have to hold our breath? Are our abs our core? Our core muscles are a group of muscles in our torso and hips and they are not limited to the abs. Core muscles are responsible for the protection of our spine. If you find yourself having trouble sitting upright with a straight spine and if your back begins to hurt shortly, it is because your core muscles need work.
A basic idea of human anatomy can level up one’s asana practice. If this is something absolutely new for someone, their journey asana practice will teach them the basics of anatomy and physiology. Everyone’s posture might look different from each other even when everyone engages the same group of muscles. Even a cup of tea will taste very different when made by two different people.
It is very important that our Yoga asana practice is the right practice in the right direction for our respective body and mind. Time spent on the mat should not leave us with more pain than what we had when we first stepped on the mat. Because sometimes less is more.
