All is Yoga

Finding the Edge

The physical practice is meant to present a challenge. The problem is it's difficult to use our intelligence to distinguish where our edge lies. Once we outline our boundaries within which we are comfortable, we are free to play and push that edge further so we grow each time we return to the mat. A beautiful teacher offered a new way to look at this concept this morning by saying our edges should never be sharp.

We've all heard the arguments and articles claiming that Yoga is dangerous/harmful to the body. The harm, however, is never the asana. That is to say, the postures themselves are not the culprit, but rather the ego behind them. Ego wants to push the limits, so when a sharp edge presents itself, the ego recognizes nothing more than another time to push forward.

(Let's be clear here, while our western definition of ego tends to have a negative connotation, in a Yogic sense, this is not always so. Our egos are composed of all of the layers of the self we pile on from the moment we are born. Any answer to the standard, "Tell me about yourself," would do well in this category. So ego isn't the "I am better than you," but rather the "I am X". (Mother, brother, cousin, teacher, water boy, swag, etc.))

So when we say the ego is the real culprit here, we mean to say there's a void we're trying to fill by pushing our limits to the point that the body's condition worsens. Why push? We want so badly to be GOOD. To do the right pose. Here's the kicker: the perfect pose does not exist. Part of us already realizes this, too. Perfection is unattainable. It's human nature to want it even more knowing this. It does not serve to judge the desire to do yoga (and all other things in life) well. This is an instinct that allows for continual growth. With a little compassion, one can check the integrity of the posture by noting the breathing. An honest answer will present itself because the body is not the ego. The body continues while the mind fluxuates. Once the mind is still, the body can be seen in its true form. This being said, you are not your body. You are not your mind. You are consciousness. Your body is a divine metaphor that is yours for rent. It is a gift.

So long as you are breathing, you are in full control. When you are in full control, no one else can control you - this is the concept behind the Martial Arts.


You're already perfect.

"Heartbreak opens for even breaking is opening ... My spirit takes journey, my spirit takes flight, and I am not running. I am choosing. I am broken. I am broken open. Breaking is freeing. Broken is freedom. I am not broken; I am free." - Dee Rees Through the Character of Alike