Advanced Basics

As yogis, we often look to deepen our practice by increasing our stamina, strength, and mobility to be able to get into or hold an advanced posture. While there are certainly benefits to continuing to grow in our practice, it’s important to remember that even the most basic posture can still be challenging and enlightening. I was teaching a small class recently with people of varying levels of experience with yoga. We were working on triangle pose (trikonasana), a posture I’ve done thousands of times. In breaking down the posture and taking time to explore it internally, I was struck by both how challenging it was, but also, how good it felt. In this particular practice, it seemed as if I was experiencing the many benefits of triangle pose (toning of the abdomen, lengthening of the spine, opening of the hips and shoulders, release of stress) for the first time. Whether we’re soaring in an advanced pose like eka pada galavasana (one-legged flying pigeon) or standing with intention and awareness in tadasana (mountain pose) or just seated with our legs crossed and eyes closed, practicing yoga is always a challenge and always holds the possibility of leading to revelation.