*disclaimer*

I acknowledge that I am not of southeast Asian descent where yoga originated from. My views come from a western prospective while still trying to honor the deep cultural aspect as respectfully as possible.

The way most people practice yoga today is very far removed from it’s origins around 2500 to 1500 BCE. Originally, the asana part of yoga was just one small aspect. Our modern take on yoga has transformed it into a performance on a mat in a studio.

What we see on the mat - the asanas - tends to represent most people’s introduction to yoga. I personally see nothing wrong in that. It was my fist step into this path and something I really enjoy in my practice. Where it can get a little off the rails is when there is only “one way” to show a pose.

For many years I tried to force my joints into some asanas that looked so amazing in photos of other practitioners. When I couldn’t get into the same form I would think I was a “less advanced” yoga student. I constantly thought I should be able to be strong enough to lift, twist, bend and flow in all sorts of ways. If I wasn’t aiming for that then I wasn’t really practicing yoga properly.

So, when did I realize that my warrior II (virabradrasana II) was supposed to fit me & my body? When did I realize my flow didn’t have to move at a certain speed? My body forced me to see it.

I didn’t have a huge injury or a lot of pain but my knee was swollen. Yes, I could do the poses but the shifting from one to the next was so slow and if I wasn’t careful there would be pain. So, I let go of how my practice “looked” and focused on how it “felt”.

I began to break down each pose or flow and look at what was going on. For example, if I sit in staff pose and attempt to flow to a plank it would be almost impossible. First, the muscles in my core, shoulders, hip flexors and shoulders are not near strong enough. But, even if they were, my arms are not the best length to make this possible. When I sit in staff pose and attempt to place my palms on the mat it just doesn’t happen. So, why beat myself up about it? I don’t… anymore.

Everyone has bones, joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons. Each one of these can be different lengths, radius, strengths, smoothness and shape. There could be a room full of people the same age and height but none of the above would be the exact same. The average yoga class is full of people of varying ages, heights, strengths not to mention with or without injuries.

The main goal when the yoga teacher cues a warrior II (virabradrasana II) is for each individual to listen to their body and move into the pose for them. The shape is basic, what it looks like is individual. The adjustments suggested by the teacher is for the student to use if it works for them. The main goal of the basic cues is for the avoidance of injury or for maybe a deeper challenge.

I feel very strongly that the point of a “challenge” isn’t always physical but can be mostly mental. The challenge is allowing yourself to be your own individual on the mat through a yoga practice and embrace all the ways your body is perfect for you and using that difference to move. Not forcing your body to conform to something that doesn’t work for it is what I see as growth.