Going Deeper

Where do we think we're going when we go deeper in a pose? When did "deeper" translate as something physical? What does that say to the people we teach, conveying an underlying message that where we are right now, isn't good enough?

You know where I want to go deeper? In my relationships. In my work. In myself. Pushing my body to its end ranges, manually adjusting my limbs into places they can't go on their own, isn't deeper. And while I am in awe of and fully believe in the adaptability of the human form, there is simply too much evidence and research out there that moving past end ranges on a regular basis can lead to injury. So then, why do we do it?

I'd rather reframe the meaning of going deeper. Can I build a container of stability around my joints and explore movement from there? Can I exchange the physical discomfort of going deeper ("it's not an injury, it's an opening") for the internal discomfort of awakening to my previously unconscious patterns and beliefs?

For me, that's the journey I call yoga. Pushing my body into extreme shapes or ranges, telling others to do the same doesn't work for me. It never really has.

Let's go deeper as a community and continue to do the work of redefining yoga asana. Ask more questions, educate yourself about movement, respect your boundaries, respect others. That's going deeper to me.