Hatha yoga is a unique combination of Sthira and Sukha – the steady alertness and the lightness of being. We should endeavour to bring these qualities to our asana practice. The starting point where we begin is the condition of our entire being at that present moment. It, therefore, helps in knowing the constitution so that we can advance step-by-step developing our practice in accordance with our abilities.
In yoga sutra, the ideas are expressed as vinyasa-krama that simply translates taking steps in the right direction rather than simply taking steps. It correctly describes an organized course of yoga practice. In simple words, vinyasa-krama describes the flow of yoga with an understanding of Sthira, Sukha and preparation of the body.
Yoga teaches that every action has two effects– one positive and one negative. With awareness, we must reorganize our practice such that we can maximize the effects that are positive and neutralize the negative effects. We use postures to balance the possible negative effects of certain strenuous asana. We call these neutralizing postures counterposes or Pratikriyasana.
For any asana there may be various counterposes possible depending on where the tension is felt. Whenever we feel excessive tension in any area of the body we must try alleviating it with a counter pose; that is a simple asana. For example, for the powerful forward bend is a gentle backbend. Conversely, a powerful backbend will be followed by a simple forward bend. Again, the reason for counterposing is to neutralize our body and not to carry any tension in the next posture or in our everyday business.
The way we develop our session depends on our immediate needs, our long term goals and what activities are going to follow our practice. It is completely up to the student in the light of his lifestyle and goals that determine whether it makes sense to practice many or few asanas. For instance, those who have stiff legs need standing postures while a dancer who has supple legs does not need to put as much effort in standing postures. There are many great postures out there but one need not practice all of them. Let’s say if I am a long-distance runner and I jerk my knee so next day I will prepare to loosen my knee throughout the practice.
Certain principals should be followed in determining how to begin the session. Warming up is absolutely essential before we begin our practice. For instance, we sit cross-legged early morning before any warm-up then we can easily damage our knees. Every practice begins with the simplest of poses. It is not a good idea, to begin with, twists or backbends.
Experienced practitioners of yoga often get caught in the habit of focusing their attention on fixing the posture in a static practice rather than really exploring its possibilities. A dynamic practice gives us greater possibilities for bringing breath to particular parts of the body and heightening the intensity of the effect.
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At this point, it should be clear that a good yoga practice is not haphazard but rather structured. Some keys are
(1) Begin where you are
(2) warm-up the body
(3) Before any asana make sure you can perform an appropriate counter-pose, for example, Possible counterposes for headstand are Apanasana or Sarvangasana
(4) practice the asana dynamically before holding
(5) Practice counter-pose immediately
(5) Make sure the counter-pose is easier than the main asana
During the course of our yoga practise, we must rest whenever we become out of breath or are no longer in control of our breath. But even if our breathing remains Quiet and regular, certain parts of the body may become tired or perhaps sore and we must rest them well. Also if we have decided to practice an asana 12 times and we feel exhausted after 6th then we must stop and go in stillness. There is only one rule to follow regarding rest. If we need one, we take one.
