May 13, 2024
What kind of support do you yearn for?
Have you ever heard the theory that the people with the most support, community, and friendships live longer and experience greater happiness in their life? (Check out the Blue Zone research.)
There is a word in the yoga tradition; anugraha that means “support” or “to be held” or “to hold”. At its essence, it is a form of grace… The practice of holding or being held without constriction… with just enough strength and ease (see previous CLC on stira suhkam asanam).
There are so many ways to live our yogic journey, and one is to identify the different kinds of support that might be of service to our highest intentions. (Don’t worry, it’s normal that these change over time and during different phases of our lives).
What kind of support might you need to bring this consideration of anugraha alive in your life?
One of my favorite ways is to practice asana with the use of props!
Here are a few ideas about how to use a block in your next class:
When a pose or series of poses are asking for a lot of your hamstrings and you’ve been riding your bike and hiking a lot, you might find that by placing a block under your hand, as an extension of your arm in certain standing poses, allows for you to keep your quadriceps and hamstrings strong without overexerting the insertion point.
If you tend to hyperextend at the knee, using a block allows for a greater lift of the calf muscle, and facilitates moving the shin more forward in space to activate the quadricep without locking the knee. This alignment provides the needed training ground to keep energy flowing through the knee joint.
The simple act of placing a block under your forehead in childs pose (balasana), seated cobblers (baddha konasana), is a great way to access the intentions and benefits of the pineal gland, and to allow for other parts of the body to relax.
When we provide ourselves with support, it creates space for other parts of our physiology to soften and in some cases, a deeper expression of the energy moving through the body as a result.
Props of all kinds can be the best teachers and forms of anugraha on the mat. Let yourself experiment with a block or a strap and see how you might support yourself. Don’t let your ego get in the way - advanced postures and yogic expressions are derived from steadiness, ease, and a whole lot of grace.
And hey - it might even feel good!
Interested in learning more?