Less Out-put / More Out-put

One of our Yoga instructors sent me a link to this You Tube video of an interview with Jason Crandell.  In it he discusses how the more subtle aspects of Yoga are lost to the need to sweat it out and hold difficult poses for longer. Classes labelled as Advanced often focus less on the more refined and subtle aspects of awareness.  His suggestion is that classes should be labelled "More Out-Put" or "Less Out-Put" as a reflection of their intensity.

I certainly don't consider myself advanced, and I often struggle with some of the more "Basic" poses such as forward bends (I have tight ham strings) and find it hard to bind (a tight shoulder girdle), but if I keep trying and keep getting a little further and a little deeper each time I practice eventually I will get there.  The point is that sometimes just relaxing into it often allows you to reflect on the fact that sometimes it is more about the journey than the destination.

If you don't believe me here is what Patricia Waldron has to say about her least favourite pose Marichyasana 1:

Marichyasana 1

"When I first started practicing this pose, it was a real struggle. I had natural length in my hamstrings but not in my buttocks or paraspinal muscles, so I was unbalanced;all my weight fell on my straight-leg side, and I had no ability to bend forward. My body felt dense and contracted, like a closed fist, and my breathing was restricted. There was no place in the pose where I could find space and freedom.

But I kept practicing Marichyasana I very regularly as part of a traditional forward-bending sequence. I would start with a modified version, sitting up on a blanket and extending my arms forward rather than clasping them behind me.This made it easier to elongate my waist and rib cage. I would repeat this version briefly two or three times on each side; because I had so much physical and mental resistance, repeating it was better than holding it for a long time. When I would finally come into the full pose with the clasp later in the practice session, it would be easier because of all the preparation I had done.

After about 10 years, I finally began to feel in Marichyasana the internal spaciousness and surrender that I love. Now it is one of my favourite forward bends. I think when you work through any difficult situation, it is a form of tapas (discipline and purification) and builds confidence and mental strength. You've taken on something really challenging and come out on the other side."