NO RIGID RULES
CLASSICAL ASANAS or VARIATIONS?
The ancient texts mention that Lord Shiva
taught 8.4 million yoga asanas, out of which
84 are described in detail in Hatha Yoga
Pradipika and considered as classical yoga
postures. You see these asanas on the group
classes you attend. Even though the teachers
usually give recommendations on adjustments
required for beginners, the poses still look
quite the same from one school to another.
The classical postures take into account the
flows of energy inside our bodies. And that’s
why performing asanas in a standardized
manner is considered highly beneficial. Yet, I
tend to get bored in a yoga class where the
teacher uses only the classical poses and
doesn’t bring in any variations.
From the age of 4 up to 13 years old, I
attended a musical school. We focused on
classical music and had to sing and play the
instruments in a precise way. There were many
rules to follow, but no space for creativity and
self-expression. I gave up the studies as soon