Breaking through

 

Karnapidasana

Properly performing some asanas may seem like bending spoons. But what does "properly" actually mean, as opposed to awkwardly or wrongly?

And what’s more, what does it mean to your body (right now)?

It may seem a silly question, but postures are challenging in many ways - just by themselves or depending on our mood, fit, nerves, hours of sleep, emotions, as well as on the weather, the actual hour (early morning vs. afternoon practice), the time of the year, and a large etcetera. Too many factors to then being actually able to keep everything under control. It should be obvious, but it's not that obvious to everyone.

In these times when experts are mushrooming and sold by the scores, and everyone can claim scot-free to be an expert of anything, I must admit I am far from being an authority on the subject. But, and it's a big but, I keep on practicing five to six days a week, so perhaps I do have some food for thought I can share.

Perfectioning has never really been my thing, even so I always strive to perform decently. Listening to my body, steadying my breath, clearing my mind and focusing my gaze usually do the trick. The result is that asanas still go as they have to go in that precise moment and context, but at least I am aware and conscious of that. And this, "just" this, for me is practicing properly, whether or not asanas are shaping well.