Natural Limits in Poses // No Less a Yogi

In my yoga teacher training we really focus on learning modification and pose variations to make the postures accessible to everyone and all skill levels.

I've never thought that there is a "correct" way to do a pose and someone that tells you otherwise is wrong! Yea! That's right! There is no wrong way to do yoga. (There is definitely a safe way to do yoga! I'm not an expert and you are reading this on the internet, so use your own judgement and if something hurts then STOP!)

You might think that there is a correct way to do a pose because you saw an Instagram picture from a superstar yogi. But a certain pose will look different on everyone's body because everyone's body is different.

In my classes I learned about all of the ways that our bodies can be different. Some differences can come from something you have done, like break a bone, or your active history, like my background as a ballet dancer has effected how my muscles formed and my flexibility from so many years of stretching a certain way.

Some differences you are born with- the length of your bones and the way they connect or sit together in your joints. For example some people have very shallow joints (the socket, as in the ball and socket, is like a flat bowl allowing the ball to move around more) or very deep joints (the socket is skinny and deep limiting the ball's range of motion).

A very easy to notice example is the position of your feet, specifically your heels, in downward facing dog. Are they on the mat? Hovering a couple centimeters? Or are you on your tiptoes?

There are two major reasons why your heels are or are not touching the mat- tension or compression.

Tensions refers to how tight or lose your muscles are and is a trait that can be for the most part worked on. If you are very flexible or open in the hamstrings and calfs then the closer your heels will be to the mat. On the other hand if you are tight in the hamstrings and calfs then your heels will not be as close. Over time with your asana practice your heels will get closer and closer to the floor as your calfs and hamstrings open up.

Compression refers to either bones or soft tissues in your body colliding. If you feel like you aren't getting a stretch or your calfs could not possibly get any more flexible in down dog then your heels may not be on the floor because of the way your ankles are built. The bones in your shin are hitting the bones on the front of your ankle and unless you carve away some bone, which is NOT recommended or very yogic, then your heels may never tough the mat. Even with years of yoga practice you may not get your heels down.

This is not to sound doom and gloom! This is to explain that your body has natural limits! And to learn the lesson that our body has to teach us with these limits. It can be humbling to have to accept that there are somethings your body cannot do, especially when your neighbor can get their heels on their mat, right?!

Yoga is not about being "good" at a pose, it is about being good to your body and honoring it! Part of honoring your body is to know when to keep pushing, like when you can reasonably gain more flexibility or reduce tension, and when to respect your limit, like bone on bone compression.

Just because the fully realized version of a pose is not accessible to your body, you are no less a yogi or a person.