Yoga Stories Episode 10: Asanas

Monica and Matt examine the third limb of yoga: asanas. The discussion gets perhaps more serious than one would imagine for the topic... and Oréo can be heard begging for Monica's coconut cookies!

There's not much to go on in Patanjali or the Gita... so Monica turns to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (HYP). A marvellous handbook for yoga but it only refers to sitting postures. So where do the standing asana (postures) come from?

Of the modern posture styles best known in the west (Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Iyengar), most, if not all, trace back to Krishnamacharya's school in Mysore, in the royal palace. We discover that there is some myth behind Krishnamacharya's own training and the origin of some of his ideas contain some mystery. But does that mean it's not authentic? How do we find the right style for us when we in the west are concerned to have our yoga style prove its authentic lineage, but we are also easily tempted by new, seemingly more exciting and dynamic styles?

What should we think when our asana practice guru gets into trouble? Our teachers, after all, are as human as we are. And inspired yoga styles are still channelled through mortals with egos and appetites. 

Patanjali and the HYP both see asana practice as a preparation for meditation and we do too! That's one way to decide how authentic and useful your asana practice style is - if it lights tapas, if it prepares your body and mind for meditation, then it's probably good.