Hatha Yoga is about learning to balance two opposing forces. Ha being sun and tha being moon. We can take this concept and move it out into different areas.
Hatha Yoga is a branch of yoga which begins with the physical body. B.K.S. Iyengar was a leader in showing how alignment in the yoga postures is very important. Another great teacher of Hatha Yoga is T.K.V. Desikachar. He believed that yoga is not ‘one size fits all’ and needs to be carefully adapted to one’s own body type, age, health, cultural, etc.
It is very important to balance these two concepts:
alignment + what is happening in your body right now = the best yoga practice
Begin by following alignment cues as a guide to know your body better. Then use slight movement adjustments to find stability and ease in your body. Begin to listen to what your body is saying to you. Pull back when something is off and hurts! Just like we don’t respond well to being forced into a corner, neither does our body. Sense the tension created when we force and sense ease when we gently use small movement adjustments and props to aid us to find the right balance. Be kind to yourself. You are important. Being kind is more important than getting the posture ‘so called right’. This is the practice day in and day out.
It is your body and life after all. You do not need to fit into someone else’s mold; however, their mold may point to something within you to explore. Become your own inner teacher. Explore, experiment and appreciate the uniqueness of you in this moment.
Namaste
Barb, A Yoga Guide 