Ásana practised in an ancient way

Everyone loves practising ásana (physical positions); they are amazing; they make your body strong, supple and definitely healthier. But why does almost every style of yôga practise ásana in a different way?

I can not tell you much about the others methods, as I don’t practise them, but I can explain ours and why is so effective.

India is, historically, one of the most invaded countries in the world.  Every great emperor in the world passed through there, including the Aryans, later Alexander the Great and most recently the British invasion. You can be sure that every single colonizer somehow changed and influenced the Indian culture and, consequently, Yoga. The most recent, and significant, change that happened in Yôga was the introduction of repetition of the ásanas. 

Ásana was traditionally practised with permanence, but when the British army landed in India the yogins of that time seemed to like the Western idea of working out the body with repetition and this new habit got stronger when Yôga was exported to United States.  

So, what do we lose by practising ásana with repetition? First of all, ásana should not be categorized as “gymnastic”. Ásana has not only the aim to make your body healthier, but, mainly, to achieve body-consciousness and self-knowledge. Body and mind being closely interrelated, the practice of ásana aims at mastery over the body with a view to securing corresponding mastery over the mind. Control of nervous and vital energies produces control of mental functions. The mind-body complex is brought under perfect control, the indwelling Self shines out and the higher self is realized.

I think it is only possible to achieve such delightful results with permanence of ásanas, never with repetitions.

When you stay in the position for a good time it acts deeply on the muscle fuses, the receptors inside the muscle cell that are connected with muscle tone, and with the protection against the risk of strain. The position, combined with focused attention and coordinated breathing, affects the muscle fuses, stimulating them to lower their defensive control over the muscle. The fibres of the muscles decrease their level of contraction and effectively stretch.

The Body and Limitation

The Body and Limitation

One of the key differences of the DeRose Method is that we hold the physical positions, the asanas, for long periods of time in order to maximise the benefits of the practice. However, when we are first practising we often experience discomfort and this often bars us from getting the most out of the techniques. It is easy to mistake this discomfort for us having reached our physical limit.

Paulo Pacifici executing dhanurasana

The limit of our bodies; this is something that is always at the forefront my mind when I teach and when I practise. How far can I push myself, or encourage my students to push themselves, without risking injury?

In simple terms an injury will only occur when we pass our individual, natural, limitation; but how do we identify our REAL limit?

Everyone, at least once in their life, has seen, or heard of, someone being hypnotized on a television show and the unbelievable things the hypnotized person was suddenly able to do. Hypnotization works on the subconscious (the repository of the emotions) of the human-being where, usually, our real limitations lie. Essentially the hypnotized person achieves, or endures, things that he would never have thought possible if he was in his normal state of consciousness. So, we can conclude that, often, our limitation, as experienced in waking consciousness, is based on our state of mind and on our emotions, instead of on our real, physical, limitation.

I believe that to comprehend our limits we must work, simultaneously, to increase our body consciousness and to manage our emotions and mindset during our practice. That is what, in the DeRose Method, the positions, asanas, and the breathing exercises, pranayamas, achieve.

I am certain that we rarely reach our real limits, but, even though we don’t “touch” our limit easily, we can increase it by practising often, simply because you are working on your overall structure and expanding your consciousness.

So next time that you practise and feel a “strong feeling”, do not relate it immediately with pain, but a sensation that you’re developing your body. Injury will be caused when you pass your limit and there is a long way to go to reach your limit.

Changing your mindset regarding the physical sensations that you have during the practice will help your physical and emotional development. I personally try to keep in my mind when I hold a position for long time; that the sensation is something beneficial; this makes my subconsciousness accept it and I can really enjoy what I am doing.

However the DeRose Method has a General Rule of Safety which must always be observed when we practise:

“Push yourself without forcing yourself. Any discomfort, pain, cardiac acceleration or excess perspiration are signs from our body you should be more moderate.”

Victoria’s Secret model practising DeRose Method

Tatiana Kovylina

Tatiana Kovylina executing a variation of kakasana

Tatiana executing Kapôdásana

Tatiana executing Natarajásana

Tatiana executing vrishikásana

Ásana, the physical part of Yôga

Physical Yôga, positions, ásanas…

This a subject that captivates almost everyone. Me too, I love ásanas! I do, I love them! They make your body strong, supple and definitely healthier. But when I started studying Yôga, eleven years ago, I was always intrigued why most of the Masters and scholars of this practical philosophy that I admire slightly reject this anga (part) of Yôga and don’t even consider methods that teach only pránáyáma and ásana to be Yôga. For example, Sri Aurobindo didn’t consider Hatha Yôga (pránáyáma and ásana)  “necessary” and Pátañjali, the great Master, in his renowned work, spoke mainly about meditation and samadhi, dedicating only three sutras to ásana, and only then as a means to achieving these objectives.
II – 46 The physical position must be steady and comfortable. (So, systems that use ásana with repetition probably lost the connection with the origin)
II – 47 It’s dominated through elimination of tension and meditation on the infinite.
II – 48 As a consequence, the duality is ceased.

So is practising only ásana practising Yôga? Ásana itself doesn’t fit the technical definition of Yôga. Do you remember the definition that Proffessor DeRose gave us? “Yôga is any methodology strictly practical that conduces to samádhi.” I cannot see a practitioner that only practises asana achieving samadhi, so, it’s not Yôga only in itself.
The point that I want to make is, why Yôga practitioners in general don’t start to give more value and pay more attention to more important angas, such as mudrá, pújá, mantra, pránáyáma, yôganidrá and samyama.

Despite all this..as we are all passionate about yôga physical techniques, I will let you admire this beautiful choreography of ásanas.

*Remember that Sanskrit is not English and accents must be respected.

Tatiana Kovylina – DeRose Method practitioner

My student, Tatiana Kovylina, made this photo session practising ásana (ancient physical technique). I found it so beautiful that I am sharing it with you!

I nice quote about physical positions.

My friend, DeRose Method teacher, Gustavo Cardoso shared with me this very nice comment about ancient physical techniques. Enjoy it!

Effective development of body awareness, motor coordination, elasticity of the tissues, articular flexibility and muscle tone. These are some of the results of the physical positions in the sequence of the DeRose Method techniques. 

In fact, the physical performance is merely the entrance into the technique.  

As you stay in the position, it acts deeply over the muscle fuses, the receptors inside the muscle cell that are connected with muscle tone and with the protection against the risk of strain. The position, combined with focused attention and coordinated breathing, affects the muscle fuses, stimulating them to lower their defensive control over the muscle. The fibers of the muscles decrease their level of contraction and effectively stretch.

As the fibers of the muscles stretch, the accumulated energy that kept the retraction of the muscle is progressively released and is transformed into live energy. The more assiduous the practice the quicker and greater the amount of released energy. The result is a quota of strength and of energy well above the average, in addition to a much suppler physical performance, with increased flexibility and motor coordination.