The Rhetoric of Yoga
By Corey Ann | April 9, 2010
Hello, hello!
First, let me apologize, it has been far too long since I wrote. And the silence was not due to silence in my life - but rather the complete opposite - lots of talking and noise and activity. All quite wonderful, if I do say so myself.
I went to NYC and Boston for twelve days. Twelve glorious days of exploring new places, new people, new ideas, new food, new poses, new challenges, and parts of myself renewed.
During my travels I had the opportunity to study and discuss yoga with a variety of people: teachers, new and seasoned practicioners, people who have never practiced, and more. One thing I noticed were that the “more seasoned” students and teachers of yoga spoke of it in metaphorical and soft ways. “The flow is yours” was one of the most entertaining - a teacher was having us move from chatarunga, to up dog, and down dog - “the flow is yours.” At one point I laughed to myself because I was tired and did not want to do the “flow” and thought “this is not mine!!” However the next time she said “the flow is yours” I thought to myself - well if this really is mine, let’s make it mine. And guess what? I enjoyed it more. And I probably did a better Chatarunga/Updog. Sneaky technique teacher.
One thing I heard over and over from beginners (sometimes myself included) was “Yoga is hard. I don’t like this pose. I like this other pose. My hips aren’t open enough for that pose. I’m not strong enough for those poses.” On and on we made excuses or dissected poses and pushed them further away from ourselves. But in fact, the rhetoric of yoga is all about bringing the poses, your body, mind, and breath into a oneness. Yoga literally is about “stilling the fluctuations of the mind” which can be accomplished with physical and mental practice.
So yes, the flow is yours. The Down Dog is yours. The Eagle is yours. The Tree is yours. The Boat is yours. The Savasana is yours.
And a friend made a good point, “Because at the end of the day, if it’s not yours, why do it?”
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