Two interesting articles to read by Aadil Palkhivala

Yoga with Intensity , Not force

As teachers , we must ensure that our students work intensely , yet without force. We generally assume that working forcefully is working intensely. Not so! Force is the opposite of true intensity. We force when we are not fully present in the body, not listening , not aware , not alert- just working blindly. Intensity is powerfully focused action , where the mind , heart , and body are united in effort and directed by a vigilant consciousness , ensuring progress without force, growth without violence.

Thus , when a student is straining to open his hamstrings, take the opportunity to teach a deeper lesson.Remind him that his hamstrings resist because they are not familiar with the opening. when we forcefully yank them open , how is that different from forcefully imposing our beliefs onto other who have opposing ones?only feeling can develop sensitivity and acceptance of an opposing viewpoint.

When you see a student pushing as hard as she can , immediately ask her questions that require her to tune in and feel her body. Ask ' what are you feeling just now? can you feel the weight on your feet?how much weight is on your fingertips?" Even something as simple as feeling a physical action will mover her away from forcing. Also , always remind your students to observe their breath as they do the poses and to keep it smooth and deep, for this helps reduce forcing and , as a spiritual bonus , invites the soul into the body.

When demonstrating a pose for your students, illustrate the different between a pose done with force and a pose done with feeling. Girt your teeth , clench your jaw , knit your brow , purse your lips , and tighten your body with grim determination, completing the pose by puffing out your chest with false pride. Then , take a deep breath, soften your body and demonstrate the pose from the serene quietness and strength of inner awareness. If you exaggerate the extreme in this way, the ensuing laughter will release tension and reduce the somber mood of an intensely focused practice. Such a comical display also gives students an indirect way of laughing at their own pretentiousness and egoistic aspirations. The clown has a high purpose - to help others see the divinity they deny.

The Goal of Asana

Going within - exploring the hidden chambers of the heart to find one's true Self - is really the first step in Yoga. Continuing from that step , we can take the next one; bringing forth the latent divinity that we discover within , so that we may fully serve our individual dharma , or life purpose.

Although i began watching my parents practice with BKS ,Iyengar when i was three, and joined them at age 7, it took me years to fully absorb this basic lesson. For the first 13 years of my yoga practice, my effort was directed at physically mastering pose after ever more difficult pose. in my late teens, i often practiced seven hours a day, many days in a row. Staying half and hour in Headstand and an hour in Shoulderstand would leave my neck so stiff that i could not even turn it the next day! in some sessions , i would perform 150 or so poses!By age 20 , i had a repertoire of hundreds of poses,including high risk asanas rarely seen and almost never taught. I brought enormous energy to my practice, but it was more in service to my ambition and ego than to a higher and deeper purpose.

Then , helping a friend lift some crates, i ruptured two disks in my lower back. For what seemed like an eternity, i was unable to sit , stand, or walk without experiencing excruciating pain. When i could finally do asana again , i had to start from the begining, The muscles around my pelvis, legs, and spine had seized up to protect my back, and i was stiffer than most beginners. This whole experience was a great lesson in humility, and it began the transformation of my asana practice to the much more heart-centered approach that is now the core of my teaching.