Noble Coach Ilg,
Happy New Year!
I have an HP Yoga question. I am curious as to the reason behind a hip width stance at the start of Sun Salutations as opposed to the more traditional feet together method.
I must say that I have found HP yoga to be BY FAR the most rewarding, powerful and frighteningly effective from of Yoga I have ever practiced. I am sure the reason(s) behind your choice regarding stance will be en–LIGHT-ening.
Head bowed and dripping with sweat,
Humble Student BG
Sherman Oaks, CA
Dear Noble Student BG,
Wild animals.
Regardless of their obvious lack of Certifications,
i have found that, by far and away, the most powerful, beautiful, and inspirational Teachers of Yoga
have been to me,
wild animals.
For my entire life, i have studied their movement patterns (and their stillness) for more clues into becoming a more proficient yogin.
My first Yoga Teacher was a black wolf hybrid. I found through him that our most natural and powerful alignment is when the legs track directly under the midpoint of the hip joint, where the articulation is most profound. since i am big on Elegance, i also find the ankles tied together stance to be not only out of balance and kinesthetic sense, i also think it looks ugly and stupid. if you came up to me while i was standing in Tadasana in the ‘traditional’ way, and you pushed me from any direction, what would happen?
i would teeter and probably topple over…out of balance, out of my strength stance, right?
now, if i adjust my stance to the HP Yoga� style…what happens to my center of gravity? what happens to my biomechanics if you push me?
that’s right…my C.O.G. is lower and more midline, and my attenuation of your force upon my body is absorbed by the wider stance, right?
Simple.
A wolf or a bobcat never stands with their ankles fastened together…they know they are out of balance and response-ability in such a silly posture.
Study the animals…forgive them if they do not have Initials after their names.
No human moves as elegantly nor as consciously as a wild animal.
This is why REAL TRADITIONAL YOGA honored the postures by naming them after animals…if you can find the Animal Medicine within the posture, i promise you will find many, many beautiful Insights into a more NATURALLY ELEGANT asana practice.
om tat sat,
coach ilg
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