Saturday, November 9, 2013

Vyana Vayu

"Work in a way that doesn't 'bruise' the vyana vayu," was a phrase Marlene shared at the beginning of the class, having heard it from Iyengar as he taught advanced students in Pune, India.

Vyana vayu, or “omnipresent air" ... is not associated with any one area of the body, but rather the entire body, and even extends outward into the area surrounding the body, also known as the aura.

How I understood it this morning opened a door to effortless effort for me. Concentrating only on one part of a pose is a necessary beginning and way to focus attention, but doing only this, can cause you to lose the opportunity to have the body working in whole. Focus on something, yes, but know that one part doesn't work in isolation from another.

illustration

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