Up to now, I don’t think I have ever used my imagination to look inwards into my body and picture my spine, my quadriceps, or even my chakras. Learning about the anatomy and applying the knowledge to the practice of the yoga poses opens up a new dimension, or a new awareness. Now that I am reading and watching videos about the human body, I actually feel ungrateful to live without thinking much about all the living cells or about the wonderful biomechanical actions that allow me to use my body. Although at this stage, my knowledge of the human body is still basic, I can appreciate how essential it is to improve and move to the next stage of our training. Not only does it help to position ourselves better but it also helps to understand the natural balancing action-reaction (Yin/Yang) effect that happens when we move. For example, in Uttanasana, being aware that our quadriceps contract when bending down and that automatically our hamstrings stretch is very helpful o focus the mind and the breathing to the right place. Visualising the muscle lengthening from its origin to it insertion makes it easier to ‘surrender’ to the pain. When positioning myself in Padmasana, I feel a painful tightness in the inside of my knee and try mentally to relax that zone. However, now that I ‘think’ in terms of the anatomy, I understand that I should try to shift the relaxation point to the hip - as opening the hip should release the tension around the knee. When in Supta Padangusthasana B, I try to open my leg to the side by putting more force in the quadriceps rather than by focusing on the synergic muscles, such as the sartorius and the pectinous in the hip, to encourage the stretching. In the same way, I use my hand to pull or lift the leg, without extending and engaging properly the biceps. Looking inwards and being able to visualise the mechanic of the muscles and skeletal structure brings the focus on the right points and therefore, reinforce concentration. During training, I sometimes loose concentration. The will to focus is there, but my mind is like a ‘monkey which has been bitten by a scorpion’ - as goes the story used by ‘Just kidding around yoga’ explained at the training I attended in Brussels. It felt funny at the time and very well adapted to helping children to understand relaxation and meditation but I think it also applies to me. Very suddenly, my mind can shift to thoughts that are not related to what I am doing. I need to find a way to reduce this mental agitation and stay focus on the poses. I hope that the practice of looking inwards into my body during my poses, will help to reinforce my concentration.
- asteyayogasongdo