Saturday May 17th, 2008
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Stretching ≠ Yoga
Posted by Su Avasthi on March 14, 2008 - 3:51pm.
Maybe people can be divided into two categories: Those who love yoga and those who will forever think it's just an elaborate form of stretching.
This occured to me when a friend passed along a New York Times article on the pros and cons of stretching. In it, a woman equates yoga with stretching and says it doesn't appeal to her. My friend -- a serious runner, cyclist and gym rat -- has similar feelings about yoga.
In fact, she's told many of her friends -- all diehard yogis -- that she has no idea why people do it.
"It's a good way to stretch out your quads," she told us. "But I get so bored and leave before everyone lies down to take a group nap."
To me, that comment illustrates she has yet to experience any real mind-body-spirit connection. From her point of view, she can burn a lot more calories on an elliptical trainer than on a yoga mat.
A few of us tried to explain why we're devoted to the practice. I said that the "group nap" at the end of a class -- or shavasana -- is essential to any yoga pratice. Without it, maybe yoga really is just a stretching class.
Someone else mentioned yoga's rich history, its link to ancient Hindu philosophy, and how she finds a spirtiual connection in her practice.
Others listed off many of reasons to love yoga: It's soothing, it relieves stress, it increases our physical and mental flexibility, it's mediative, it clears the mind, it just feels good and (my favorite reason) the clothes are cute.
In the end, I found I couldn't explain the magic that happens on a mat. If anyone reading this has a good way to articulate yoga for non-yogis, please share it.
Meanwhile, I remain mystified that yoga doesn't click for some people and they remain mystified that it does click for so many of us.
Personally, I remember walking out of my first yoga class with a glow and the sense that I'd tapped into something powerful and amazing. So I'm honestly baffled how anyone can leave a class feeling bored or indifferent. Then my inner yogi pipes up and reminds me to be grateful that I'm one of the lucky ones.
One thing I've discovered about doing yoga is that when I start my day doing yoga, I often feel more socialable throughout the day. I'm much more excited to see friends at work and I'll actually leave my office to tell people things, rather than just send an email.
About 30 minutes after I do yoga, I always get this energy where suddenly, I feel very good. I can breathe. I'm fully aware of what is going on around me. Its really a great feeling.
You are disappointing me, Su... :-)
Your inability to explain "the magic that happens on the mat" would have been OK, if you mentioned that Yoga is an internal system working to combine physical, spiritual and energy levels. Hence the stretching is only a part of it. The most accessible and basic, the one to start from. But I fail to notice any understanding that the relaxation and the "sense of tapping into something powerful" are just the opening of the door that allows for things to happen. Yoga is a method. One can focus on describing the method and miss the opportunities it brings. And that's how most of the people see and practice Yoga (and Tai Chi, meditation etc.). I am afraid the article misses to mention that there is a Door...
And so Yoga goes in the land of USA - through hundreds and thousands of PATENTS (!!!), new "styles", numerous new schools and 2 year-practitioners-turned-into-teachers.
Sad....
i remember, during the shavasana of my first vinyasa yoga class, i sobbed. it was the first time after years of informal yoga classes that i was so touched and immediately moved by something-- i'm not really sure what, just this feeling of an internal dam breaking and flooding me over with emotion. it was very powerful and completely unexpected (i'm a very type-a personality, and things like this just don't happen to me), and i've never doubted the power of yoga again. if it can make me let myself go (a scary thing when you like control), it can move mountains. i was simply swept away on the current of... something.
To the author, don't worry about trying to find ways to convince your friend/others about the wonders available to those who practice yoga. Yogis who have had that 'cross-over moment' as described in the Moving Mountains blog above, will never really be able to describe how delicious the feelings washing over & around & through them are or how significant the impact on their entire being is. Skeptics don't/won't believe it anyway.... it just has to be felt and experienced.
To Disappointed, let go of the frustration you have for people who are trying to find ways to describe, bring and share their yoga experience with others. We all do what we can. Words are only words until they have meaning for the individual you're teaching, no matter your years of practice/ training/ experience. People 'hear' when it's their time. Again, referencing the Moving Mountains blog above, in the writer's words, it took years of practicing before the moment of 'understanding' happened.
Perhaps it's best to be positive about the practice of yoga, for every person who practices, there is a different motivation for getting there. Help them find a good teacher, help them keep trying, help them get comfortable listenting to their bodies & emotions and eventually it will resonate. In that moment, they'll be like you, like me, like everyone who knows the potential of yoga and they will encourage everyone they know to 'give it a try' because they've found samadhi, their bliss.
Shanti. Shanti. Shanti.