27/11/2024
Copied from a colleague
Here's a profound passage from B.K.S. Iyengar's 'Tree of Yoga':
"Asana means posture, which is the art of positioning the body as a whole with a physical, mental and spiritual attitude. Posture has two aspects, namely posing and reposing... Pose is assuming a fixed position of limbs and body as represented by the particular asana being performed. Reposing means reflection on the pose... By reflecting on which part of the body is working, which part of the mind is working, and which part of the body has not been penetrated by the mind, we bring the mind to the same extension as the body... This is what is known as reposing; this is sensitivity. When this sensitivity is in touch equally with the body, the mind and the soul, we are in a state of contemplation or meditation which is known as asana." (p. 54-55)
Here, Iyengar beautifully unveils the deeper layers of asana practice. He shows us that a pose isn't complete just by achieving its physical form - it's a dynamic dialogue between positioning and reflecting. Through this lens, each asana becomes a laboratory for self-observation, where we learn to notice not just where our body is, but where our attention is (and isn't).
What touches me most is how he describes sensitivity as the bridge between pose and repose. When we cultivate this quality of awareness, our practice naturally evolves from physical exercise into meditation, creating a seamless connection between body, mind, and soul.
