Pose Catching

Every year I set aside some money to invest in my on-going yoga education.  This year I'm focusing my courses on anatomy & alignment.  I thought this approach would focus my efforts, & it has, but I've found myself learning anatomy & alignment from a few slightly divergent traditions.  I'm currently studying Iyengar yoga as well as Anusara Therapeutics, while maintaining my on-going Jivamukti-influenced vinyasa practice.

All of these practices have common threads-- both the Jivamukti & Anusara styles were influenced by Iyengar.  However, some poses are encountered slightly differently.  For example, I've been practicing sirsasana, or headstand, with my inner wrists against the back of my head and my palms touching.  Basically, the side of my fist is on the mat, with the back of my head pressing my inner wrists.  This approach is helpful because I can press my wrists firmly on the mat.

One of my teachers is now telling me to open my fists, place the palms of my hands on the back of my head, fingers threaded behind my head, while my wrists & elbows still press the mat.  There are aspects of this approach that feel really beneficial.  I feel like I can use my elbows maybe more effectively.  However, I'm really struggling to press the sides of my wrists onto the mat.

I woke up thinking about pose catching, like song catching.  I have friends who are song catchers.  They track the history of songs, where they were played, how they changed, when lyrics were edited or chords adjusted.  I've never heard of a pose catcher, but I'd love a historian who made the same inquiry.  When were these poses altered?  Who practices them in what ways & why?  What bodies move into any of these variations most healthfully?

Last year I focused my on-going education on workshops geared towards adjusting & assisting students.  I LOVED it!  Not only did I gain confidence, skills, & awareness of working students deeper into poses but I also learned more about the poses themselves.  A few weeks ago, my colleagues & I at Yogawood had an adjusting/assisting skill swap.  It was so wonderful to talk about how to aid a student's practice but also to understand more deeply the mechanics of any pose.  Maybe this is why the poses begin to have various incarnations-- a response to one student's body, an approach towards another end, another gradual uncovering.