I’ve written about this a bit before — the idea that yoga is not of the body but the body can take us more deeply into yoga. Go here.
But another aspect of that same issue is much on my mind and these thoughts are just the beginning. (And please…don’t nitpick… there are FANTASTIC teachers of what we call “traditional” hatha yoga out there. It has benefits, blah blah blah… why do you think I’ve been studying it for 25 years? But “traditional” is problematic in terms of who is defining that and based on what. And good things are good because they can tolerate internal evolution.)
The yoga postures we do were made by men, and they contain a whole hell of a lot of masculine energy (as we typically define these things). I’m not saying they are of the toxic masculinity category, but they can go there when they get too strict, too defined, too prescribed, too demanding with no room for individuality, and too centered around the ego of the creator. (I’m looking at you, Mr. Bikram.)
The yoga postures we do were made by men, catalogued by men, systematized by men. And they look like it.
Everything is on static planes. Everything is… pointed. Everything is about standing in place, getting the POSE right, doing certain poses, and of course, always looking to do the pose better and always looking for the harder pose to learn and perfect next.
Even in a “flow yoga” class, you’re still just, basically, transitioning quicker (faster, better, stronger) from one such pose to the next.
I’m pretty much done with that.
“Straight lines don’t do much for the body except turn it into a cast, eventually limiting mobility and creating issues based in repetitive stress.”
Let go of the forms once you know the forms. All of our best and most innovative movement artists and teachers have come to this same conclusion eventually.
Be like water, as Bruce Lee said. Exactly.
The body craves wave like motion, circular motion, NATURAL free flowing motion that is explorative in nature, that is experimental, that is constantly changing and challenging.
The best strength is soft, pliable, responsive strength.
If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice that I’m describing an approach to our physical yoga that is very much based in feminine energy.
And so I rarely teach what most people would call yoga anymore.
My yoga (WaterSpine Yoga) is deep in meaning and intention and it’s steeped in the larger yoga, the philosophy of yoga and the breath.
The yoga of the body that I’m exploring and playing with now will take you to a place of peace and strength and awareness and it will teach you to trust YOU and not some form or structure or any person behind that form or structure.
True yoga is meant to free you, not lock you up.