when asana is no longer enough
"One is never afraid of the unknown; one is afraid of the known coming to an end."
— Jiddu Krishnamurti
Hellllloooooo Practitioners,
There was a time when pose practice (asana) was no longer enough. But I held on anyways. And by “held on” I mean white-knuckled-it. Because at that time, yoga-asana defined me. I felt “saved” by yoga, I had a daily practice, and was teaching.
But my elbows where aching, my sacrum was unstable, and I kept sliding down the slippery slope of pushing my body too far. If I’m honest, yoga-asana had become like everything else: another place to strive and push and grasp, another pitiful attempt to “heal” the core wound of unworthiness.
Luckily, I had a mentor who guided me through this practice plateau. She would say (over and over again), "get on your mat to open your channels and get out of there." I would nod and agree but be thinking, “what does that mean? what would it look like? how will I know when I’m there?”
I wrestled with those questions for over 2 years. But! as my ego attachment to asana quieted down, I was able to sense what was enough, when my channels were open, and how to move on.
I wish I could tell you this was easy. But it was not. I was swimming against strong currents of conditioning. Stripping away identity. There was struggle, setbacks, grieving.
It was not easy, but it was liberating.
To make the transition and retain the body/mind/spirit benefits originally found in yoga-asana, I had to expand my definition of practice. Once I did that, “the yoga feeling” came from everything. No joke. From walking the dog to learning to snowboard. From studying ancient texts to washing the dishes.
When students and clients say they “need to practice more”, it's very rare they need more yoga-asana, but often they need new dimensions to practice in. This is good. A sign of maturation and evolution.
Unfortunately, there is almost no support for this type of growth in the modern studio system. This is where the online school shines as a supplement to studio classes. To provide educational resources that expand your practice. From a toe-dip to a 12-week plunge, here are opportunities to evolve:
To expand your definition of practice, watch the Practice Compass Tutorial.
To have a multi-dimensional experience of practice, join us at the Ground of Being Retreat.
To develop your inner listening and inner knowing, apply for Inner Sanctuary.
May your practices be more than poses,
Alison
