Asana in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Asana is Steady and Comfortable

We are to take our current understanding and capacities concerning the act of posture, and apply it, moment to moment, in all the different poses and transitions.

Perfection is not the point, simply do your best. In the beginning, we will forget more often then not… less so if we find a good teacher.

Keep in mind that the more total the implication in doing the easier it will be to maintain the act. The deeper the shift implied in your nervous system, the more the act anchors you into the present moment… give some thought to this and clear your doubts. However long it takes, if you wish it and make the efforts, you will develop the ability to maintain this act through the entirety of the practice.

This defines steadiness.

Obviously, whatever act you imply yourself in will require some effort. To be able to maintain this effort consistently, we come to the notion of comfort.

It should be strong enough to have stability, but not too much so as to maintain a feeling of joy and softness. Depending on temperament and on daily variations, how much effort is comfortable will vary.  

The more you bend your body, the more strength and effort is needed to maintain this integrity. This notion of comfort will be the greatest tool in understanding and respecting your limits.

Just because you can bend your body that much doesn’t mean you should… 

Maintaining the act in this way will have the body develop within the framework of what the act creates. In time, the act will be an innate quality within the body’s very structure and as such, effortlessly, the body will be steady and comfortable. This will certainly open the door to new possibilities.    

Asana is mastered through relaxation of effort and merging with Ananta.

Literally translating as infinite, or endless, it is stated that Ananta should be our point of reference in developing our posture. Endless space obviously includes the space within the body, which some people say is also infinitely vast. As you explore this, entering the space of your body, what you experience is often quite far from limitless.

We navigate within our body and our attention is called to certain areas of tension. Those with more experience in this process know very well that there are layer upon layer of these tensions throughout the body, most of which remain under the radar (thankfully, as it makes life in this body bearable). These tensions can have many root causes, but they can be seen in the light of a hindrance in the capacity to communicate through to the rest of the body. Whether purely physical, or energetic in nature, (these things are not entirely separate) they can come to be understood as relating to imbalances in the quality of the Gravity/Levity dynamic.

It is a curious coincidence that this same word, Ananta was also commonly used as a reference to the personified representation of this quality, i.e. the mythical snake which holds the planets in equilibrium, which holds the crust of the earth on its head. Gravity is in fact the only infinite quality, in both time and space, within this physical dimension. Once again, in a state of mastery, infinity is one’s experience and is indeed accompanied by a weightless feeling. In the practical development of this, the word Ananta can be an indication to work directly with gravity and the relationship between Body and Earth, hence, rooting, and more specifically, a vision of rooting which includes the whole body.

To align our efforts, our act, with this force will indeed yield wondrous results. Wondrous in that such a simple notion, when put into practice, can develop over time into such a rich and wholistic process.

Relaxation of effort

Unfortunately, many associate relaxation with a couch. Maybe not in thought, but this is how it often manifests in practice. Couch yoga is simply not a thing, and unless your body is supported as is on a very comfortable couch, never bring this quality to your actions in yoga. The body’s wisdom will simply not allow it. Insisting on relaxation prematurely, the body may succumb, but one will invariably witness that the tensions are only transferred and often, to deeper layers… this can be very hazardous to your health.

Relaxing must be accompanied by an alternative support mechanism. This release will happen naturally when the body learns to trust a newly established holding pattern. When the whole body works together, every part need not do more then what it was designed for, and therefore doing it in a completely relaxed way becomes possible.

At some point, this interconnected dynamic is developed to the point that it can be held effortlessly, both physically and in that the concentration previously required to maintain it is also effortless.