Friday, January 8, 2010

Striving for Grace

I can't believe that we've already finished more than a week of the challenge!

I had a good class tonight. I didn't think about heat or sweat or drinking water. Many of the postures were a bit of a struggle, but I felt good throughout the class. No dizzy feeling, no excessive thirst, no feeling unbearably hot. Maybe I am finally figuring out the right hydration and electrolyte thing.

The lady next to me whimpered like a puppy during half-locust.


Our state Yoga Asana Championship is tomorrow, and one of the competitors demonstrated her set. It included an incredibly beautiful and graceful standing splits. She posesses natural flexibility, but it is her long-term, dedicated practice that allows her to execute the posture with such grace and stillness.

I decided that one of my new goals for the Challenge is to focus on bringing more grace to my practice. I've tried to muscle my way into many a posture, grunting audibly as I kick out in standing head to knee, grimacing through awkward pose, and even, I'm sure, whimpering at some point. I am finally getting a little glimpse of what the instructors mean when they talk about ease and stillness. You can learn a lot by watching an accomplished yogini or yogi.

Which is why I am so dismayed to have encountered some Bikram-bashers complaining about the Asana Championship. At a non-Bikram style yoga class that I taught today, a gentleman mentioned that he'd seen news about this competition, and another student launched into an indignant diatribe about how competitions are un-yoga-like, not spiritual, etc. I wish that I had been prepared with a better response. Sometimes I truly hate straddling two yoga worlds. I told the class that asana competitions have been held in India for a very long time, and also that people have squabbled for centuries about what yoga is and isn't. The indignant lady said, "Oh, yes, and isn't that funny, because 'yoga' means 'union.'"

Well, yes.

I think that the Championships raise awareness about yoga. I think the Championships are inspiring, especially to kids and to yoga students. I would think that anybody who loves yoga or sees its benefits would be happy to see yoga promoted and made visible. If you've noticed what a stressed-out, unhealthy, increasingly obese and sedentary nation we are becoming, I would think that you'd love to see attention drawn to an activity that can calm the mind, refresh us, heal us, and keep us strong.

I don' t get what's so objectionable to the detractors. Do these people hate spelling bees too? They make a competition out of learning to spell, and some kids have more natural aptitude than others, but nobody gets really far in the spelling bee without hard work. Does this process somehow demean kids who are innocently and nobly engaged in learning to spell and write?

I guess you can't please everybody, huh?

I probably ought to try to extend that focus on stillness and grace to what goes on in my head, the things that annoy me. "Let no one steal your peace."

4 comments:

  1. I went to the uk asana championship recently and I have to agree that there is a lot we can learn from their grace and dedication. The way I've argued it since is that as we all know yoga is a practice and we practice it (in some cases) daily. So why can't we set one day a year away from the practice were instead of letting it just be what it is we actually strive for that little bit of extra. If that one day a year of less than perfect (excuse the pun) practice isn't worth it spread the word, then how can we justify teachers sacrificing their practice to teach. After all it's part of your karmic yoga duty not just to practice and improve your body but to help others live a fuller life as well.

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  2. I know!! It's impressive how people - mainly other yogis! - can get themselves sooooo worked up over the idea of a yoga championship. This gave you a good chance to think of your response for next time, I bet. ;) I've competed a couple times and I've gotten very used to explaining championships to skeptics. I tell them that yoga champs are great because they're the least competitive events EVER - everyone there is cheering the others on, hoping that everyone does their best. It's so inspiring for everyone. It's a great chance for the community to come together, and a great chance for yogis to develop their asanas and share their hard work. We practice simply for ourselves 364 days out of the year... but for ONE day, it's fun to share yourself with others!

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  3. I've heard participants in the competitions say that the preparation and 'performance' gave them the experience of focusing on asana in a whole different way, that it changed and enhanced their practice in the future.

    There's a person from my studio who competed today, and most of his asana probably don't look especially amazing, or even "good," but they totally are: This man has lost somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 lbs, stopped drinking, gave up a pack a day cigarette habit, and launched a successful business over the last 8 or so years since he began practicing Bikram yoga. He just recently completed his own 100 day challenge, and I tear up thinking about him competing today, sharing his practice.

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  4. THAT story is the kind of thing that I live for.

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