30 Aug WHAT IS SENSITIVITY IN ASANA AND WHY YOU WILL BE OBSESSED
Written by Duncan Parviainen ・ Image by Eneko Urunuela ・ 5 mins
Yoga has gotten increasingly more epic with vinyasa, hot yoga, aerial yoga and to the somewhat extremes of naked yoga and wine and yoga. But, let’s strip it all back to what keeps us coming back for more – it’s that feeling. You know the one when the mind and body just kind of clicks and you feel that moment of ahhh and you get it, that flow in the body.
And then, it disappears.
We call that being aware of our Sensitivity. And although that might sound like some new-age hipster trend where you are having D&M under a new moon, let’s get back to the basics. The basics of why we teach or practice yoga, is to develop and deepen our understanding of ourselves and enhance the experience of life.
Sensitivity. What does that mean to you as a teacher and in your practice? Often we have come to recognise sensitivity in our culture as a place where we tune into our emotions and thus be able to put aside our ego. It is through this awareness that we are able to connect more intimately with others and our self’s true sense of being.
However, what we sometimes may not always have our attention on is those subtle sensitivities in our physical bodies. The connection of our body as it moves, the tiniest placement of a limb, the flow of movement with a sense of ease and grace. Sacred Architecture is a workshop created by Duncan Parviainen to enable Yoga teachers and their students to deepen their understanding of themselves throughout their practice of yoga and get in touch with the sensitivities within us.
We sit down with Duncan as he shares about his journey of yoga and getting intimate with your own sensitivity in your body when practicing and challenging yourself through Asana.
“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.
Immersion training is not for everyone but it is for those that are dedicated to discovering and consistently allowing the journey of your yoga practice open you up and discover the unknown. For those that are teachers, this training will give you the support with taking your tribe through their own Asana journey.
So what will you learn in this immersion training?
This immersion workshop and training is dedicated to learning six alignment principles that will support you as you move into advanced asana. Advanced Asana encourages growth both physically and mentally, it reminds you to play, to break ideals about yourself and others, to open up, that you are always learning and teaching and how to be in the now.
We take this training further with the following focuses:
Creative use of Props
We use props in creative ways to support the uniqueness of our bodies and create space for us to feel stable and flourish.
Practical Anatomy
We nerd out on practical anatomy and apply it directly to the alignment principles and asanas as we practicing them each day. You will feel and discover your body in new ways.
Asana Practice
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 the sun even on a cloudy day.” – Duncan Parviainen
