account everything. All of us are so different,
our body types, the length of our limbs, the
muscular tension we feel at a given moment.
It’s good to be aware of the basic principles
and use them as a reference point. Yet, often
we have to adjust the poses to meet the
unique needs of our body.
Let me give you a few examples to help you
see how you can alter the classical postures.
When you perform, say, Plow pose, the
traditional asana instructions would tell you to
keep your legs straight. But do you really need
to? Absolutely not. You shouldn’t do anything
that gives you a sense of discomfort. If this is
the case, don’t hesitate to bend your knees.
The classical instructions would tell you to
keep your arms along the body. But you may
prefer to bring your hands up above your head
and hold your legs. This way, you keep your
neck safe; you don’t overstretch it.
And it’s not that we adjust the asana only to
simplify it. No. All variations of the pose give a
different feeling.