11 Mar Advanced Asana: The Power of Sensitivity
Advanced Asana: The Power of Sensitivity
Written by Duncan Parviainen
“Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears. “ – Edgar Allan Poe
One thing I have learned on this journey of Yoga is that our practice must hone our ability to be increasingly sensitive. Not just as it relates to our ego, or emotions (although that can be helpful too), but also the sensitivity of becoming intimate with the placement of our limbs and muscles through space. It is this sensitivity that teaches us how to move with grace, precision and strength. The more sensitive we are with our bodies, the more we begin to uncover and awaken different aspects of who we are.
I have found it helpful over the years to view alignment in yoga not as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but as a method of increasing this ability to be sensitive to what we are doing; a method of increasing self-awareness. When we take the time to understand alignment and use it to inform the construction of poses, it creates magical and transformative experiences for ourselves and our students.
This is why I created Sacred Architecture; a training to share my passion for alignment and its ability to help us understand ourselves and take us into new experiences.
This immersion is dedicated to learning six alignment principles that will support us as we move into advanced asana. We will use props in creative ways to support the uniqueness of our bodies and create space for us to feel stable and flourish. We will nerd out on practical anatomy and apply it directly to the alignment principles and asanas as we practicing them each day.
This is a truly well rounded training where we will spend equal time discussing concepts and practicing them. Our asana practice will cover inversions, arm balances, backbends, standing poses and hip openers, all in a way that is accessible, balanced and well supported.
It is my hope that as yoga teachers we can view ourselves as skillful architects who build asanas that not only support and transform our bodies but offer the opportunity to be sensitive. If we can hone our ability to be sensitive, we might be more likely to feel the soft touch of sun even on a cloudy day.
Join Duncan for his Sacred Architecture yoga workshop on Friday 12 April at Power Living Manly Beach studio!
