it seems the accepted norm that injury will come some time or another during asana practice.
We have to see the place of asana practice in yoga as this is only one part of the eightfold path. Asana is a means to purify the body and to prepare the body to be able to take the seats of meditation for extended period of times.
It is also a tool to shift intelligence, awareness of self and a tool to develop the ability to become both the doer, observer and creator of an art form at the same time.
My believe is that injuries come when the first two steps on the path- Yamas and Niyamas- are ignored. I would go as far as to say that many things in our lives goes wrong when these two principles are ignored.
Yoga is a practice that can most certainly be fulfilling even when the practitioner is not interested in taking it beyond the fist four steps of yoga but as we know, it is inevitable that the fruits of the practice will come to anyone that approaches it diligently and with focus.
Yoga should not incur injuries at any stage of the practice. It is a holistic practice that should not be distorted by ego or focus on asana before development on personal and social responsibility is established in the Yamas and Niyamas.
My view is that Astanga – the sequence – is an advance form of self practice and beginners is not ready for it and should therefor practice Hatha yoga for at least two years with a teacher, before doing the self practice of the Astanga series.
Indeed asana practice aligns the subtle energies of the body, prevents illness by bringing renewed energy on a pranic level and brings a conscious awareness of Self on a mental, spiritual and physical level. It is a great tool in therapy and to shift physical ability alike.
Be conscious in your practice for an Injury free, lifelong practice.
May you have a fruitful wonderful healing and injure free journey in yoga, no matter for what reason you are doing asana or enter the advanced practice.
The Energy of the body are organised systems, just like the biological systems of the body.
Contrary though, the biological systems can be medically dissected whilst the energy bodies, sustaining the material body, is subtle. This, in itself makes it a complex discussion.
Breath is the energy that keeps us alive, yet, unseen, untouchable. Every human has a DNA chain, only discovered in recent medicine, unseen to the obvious eye. It has been there, through all the ages only to become know in the last decades.
There are far more unseen systems sustaining our material bodies.
I will give an outline of our Sacred Energy bodies that constitute our Sacred Anatomy.
Insight into Sacred Energies contribute greatly towards self-knowledge, insight in actions and gives a “map” towards personal growth, refinement, spirituality, freedom and health. Fundamental, is not to gain this information egocentrically. It is not to analyse and jump to shortsighted conclusions about yourself or anyone else. It’s a complex, sacred journey; ever changing asking for the practise of awareness and reflection perpetually.
Knowledge of the chakras will eventually, connect fragments of your life and experiences into a comprehendable, harmonious whole.
Our material bodies cannot exist without these complex Energy bodies, leaving us in awe of creation;
The 4 energy systems are:
The Subtle Bodies (Energy Bodies)
Chakras (Energy Centers)
Nadis (Energy Channels)
Sushumna – Ida and Pingali
There are 4 Energy Bodies
1.1 Ethereal Body
Ethereal body is closest to the physical body in shape and dimensions and called “The inner physical body”. It gives the energy that shapes the body and we get a new ethereal body with each reincarnation. The ethereal body dissolves a few days after physical death.
1.2 Emotional (Astral) Body
The Astral body is the Emotional body. The carrier of feelings, emotions, our character traits. It radiates into the aura primarily through the chakras. This energy body is in constant motion with steady character traits visible as a constant.
Hues of its radiant energy changes with emotions, fear, anger, love, joy, devotion. Unconsciously we are transmitting unresolved emotions all the time sending messages into the outside world, attracting what is is we want to avoid – Murphy’s law situations. These vibrations attract similar people that often confront us with circumstances we need to deal with. The astral body reincarnates with the soul and joins the next physical body, to continue on its path of healing and self realisation and then manifesting fully in the world.
1.3 Mental Body
Mental body is the energy that generates perceptions such as ideas, rational, and intuition. As a person advance on the spiritual plane, the higher chakra energies, the volume of the mental body increases. Intellect increase, intuition increase, . This energy body becomes then, as much as the ethereal and astral body energies combined. This expanded mental body may then radiate a meter or more into the aura.. The true function of the mental body is to grow towards truth and purity, and gets this from the spiritual body. Higher, larger vibration of the mental body is gained by the third eye and crown chakra. It brings wisdom and a holistic awareness of your Higher self and life.
1.4 Spiritual Body
This energy glows in the gentlest of hues in the aura at the highest frequency of all the energy bodies..
This energy allows us a feeling of inner unity with others and our environment. We sense the Omnipresence of creation we live in.
Spiritual body energy is our divine energy and is immortal. We know we are a spark of the eternal light, the eternal soul. We live to be purposeful. A life enriched with new qualities. We connect more and more with higher self in our actions and our lives express wisdom, love and all the natural, uncontaminated qualities and aspects of our higher self’s. Authentic living.
There are 7 main Chakras
2.1 Muladhara
2.2 Svadisthana
2.3 Manipura
2.4 Anahata
2.5 Visuddha
2.6 Anja
2.7 Sahasrara
3. Nadis
4. Sushumna
Anatomy of Sushumna is a Vertical column from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Coiling around, similar to the Caduceus sign of the Hippocrates Oath in appearance, is:
The Ida -feminine energy coiling from the base of spine up the Sushumna ending in the left nostril.
The Pingali – male energy coiling from base of spine up the Sushumna ending in the left nostril.
MORE ON THE CHAKRAS IN A FUTURE POST. namaste, ohm, edna
Asana practice is different from all other physical activities. Asana means seat. This implies every posture brings its full range of significance in alignment, awareness, compassionate awareness, where the breath will flow, where there is contraction and where to lengthen. Asana practice brings health and lightness, a completely united body, where every part of the body is trained with equal awareness and importance. Dualities is lessened and dissolved, victory and defeat of life’s battles is settled in asana. A peace and ability to want your body, to care for it, to understand and celebrate the physical manifests with shame for physical form no longer.
All of this, happens when asana is practiced with authenticity. When in paschimottanasa, be there, fully united in being of mind, scanning and experiencing, with body, lenthtening and continuously contracting, adhering to the seat of paschmottansana. Awareness of breath and where it is directed bringing light is condensed parts. This applies to every single asana in practise. Arrive on your yoga mat with full authenticity.
Take this with you, stepping of the yoga mat into life. For growth can only happen when we are authentic. To want what is for another, to impose differently in different situations, this alienates Self from Self and personal potential will evade.
Anahata Nada Journey 