http://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/asana-2-0-yoga-sometimes-needs-update/
Asana 2.0: Why Yoga Sometimes Needs an Update
BY DESI BARTLETT |
Los Angeles-based yoga teacher Desi Bartlett makes the case for putting our modern stamp on an ancient practice through occasional innovation and revision of traditional asana names.
“Don’t call me a cow!” was all that I could think while taking a prenatal class with an instructor who insisted on several rounds of Cat-Cow. I was 9 months pregnant and the last thing that I wanted to do was create the shape of a Cow. I already felt really big and knew that I would soon be lactating. The whole scenario played games with my head. So, in that moment, I made a promise to myself that I would change the name of this pose the next time I taught a prenatal yoga class.
What’s in a Yoga Pose Name?
As a pre- and post-natal yoga teacher, I am very sensitive to women’s needs. This includes our body image. While some women would not think twice about enjoying Cow Pose, many women would prefer a different frame of reference. I knew that I’d found that new frame when I heard Cat and Cow referred to as “Rainbow” and “Unicorn.” I felt like the whole sky lit up and I could hear all of the beautiful cueing in my head that could accompany such imagery. (“Envision your body as a rainbow around your baby, point your crown to the sky with pride.”) However, another part of my mind asked, “Is this OK? Can you really change the name of an asana?” It was as though I thought that the yoga police were going to roll up and issue a ticket.
All of this got me thinking about the evolution of asana in the United States. I very clearly remember my mother practicing Lotus Pose in the ‘70s and chanting Om shanti shanti shanti, but there was no Rockstar, Reverse Warrior, or Fallen Angel in those days. Since yoga has become part of our culture, so too has our culture seeped into the world of asana. A pose like Awkward Airplane, which is a variation of a physical therapy rehab exercise called Quadruped Abduction, could never have existed thousands of years ago, because there were no airplanes. The folks that created the names of the poses looked to their surroundings for inspiration. Sun, Moon, Half Moon, and Down Dog all drew their names from nature. Extended Side Angle, Triangle, and Bound Angle Pose drew their names from geometry. Warrior I, Side-Lying Vishnu Pose, and Lord of the Dance Pose were inspired by Hindu gods. In our contemporary world, we have modern inventions and new ideas. As our world has evolved, so has asana nomenclature. “Venice Beach Pose,” “Robot Pose,” and “Rockstar” are a few new names that have become part of the yogic lexicon—at least in Los Angeles. Is this OK? Can we create new names for new poses and revise some the names of some of the traditional poses? I really look at this as a question of who your students are. If you were teaching Cobbler’s Pose to a shoemaker, the name would fit. But for most of us, that name does not inspire a shape. I think Butterfly, on the other hand, evokes a shape of transformation and spreading your wings. The name breathes life into the asana.
Making the Case for Evolution in Asana
I know that there are traditionalists who will disagree with my revisionist philosophy. There are those who will look down their noses and say Robot Pose isn’t “real yoga.” To me yoga is like a wise, beloved ancestor. She has been around for millennia and she continues to share her gifts with us daily. It is an individual choice whether or not we’re open to sharing our experiences with and giving back to this practice by creating new shapes and a few new names here and there. Like any living tradition things will change, they will grow, they will evolve. For me, this takes me right back to where I began, “Please do not call me a Cow. I am a unicorn.”
About Our Writer
Desi Bartlett, MS, CPT, E-RYT, is a pre- and post-natal yoga and fitness expert. She has starred in eight Yoga and Fitness DVDs, most recently Gaiam’s “Prenatal Yoga Workout.” For more information, visit mothersintolivingfit.com
Desi Bartlett, MS, CPT, E-RYT, is a pre- and post-natal yoga and fitness expert. She has starred in eight Yoga and Fitness DVDs, most recently Gaiam’s “Prenatal Yoga Workout.” For more information, visit mothersintolivingfit.com
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