How much focus/tension to use.?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

I used to study shotokan karate and while it had its uses at that time, I find it gave me a lot of bodily tension.

and now i’m starting to learn yoga I find my body is trying to use the same tension level it was used to being at from doing karate.

basically, I’m in a yoga pose trying to relax into it & my bodies muscles are tightening up thinking ‘karate.’

So I’m wondering what to do.? how much generally should we put into it.?

I read one site which said something like in terms of tension “your meditation should be harder than you asana”

but I find it hard to really relax into it.

#2

Hey Andy,
I am curious about your use of term [I]body tension[/I] and I wanted to ask you about this so I could be more clear on what you mean exactly. Are you speaking of actual contracted muscle when you speak of this sensation OR are you speaking more to the energy that you are experiencing as maybe a readied, potential energy in your muscle. I was thinking that having the body primed for a strike would be like experiencing the potential energy of your muscles and this could maybe what you are speaking to when you say [I]muscle tension[/I]—I don’t know karate myself, thus my question. In anticipation of your answer, thank you!

These are great questions that you’ve posted here about effort. We have been given simple answers to them by Patanjali, the sage who codified Yoga practice. He makes it clear how much effort we each need to give in our poses for them to be considered Yoga at all. As simple as he has made it for us, I wouldn’t say that it is easy to find relaxation in our efforts; it takes some practice and even then it is always changing and asking us to change too. Here is what Patanjali offers us in his sutras; I am using the sutra interpretation of my teacher, Mukunda Stiles here.
[CENTER] [I][B]
Patanjali Yoga Sutras[/B]
[B]II:46[/B] Yoga pose is a steady and comfortable pose.
[B]II:47[/B] Yoga pose is mastered by the relaxation of effort,
lessening the tendency for restless breathing,
and promoting an identification of oneself as living
with the infinite breath of life.[/I]

[LEFT]Our breath is our very first perceivable cue on both effort and when the pose is finished. Watch this as you play with your effort. Also watch to see how much effort you will need to exert to practice a pose and how much more (or maybe less) your mind will want to apply. I find this really fascinating, because the mind most often directs the body to 2, 3, 4x the amount of effort actually needed. Watch with open-hearted curiosity and see if you notice something like this too.

Cheers,
[/LEFT]
[/CENTER]

#3

thanks nichole, by body tension i meant that I was/am holding myself too tight.

I got a yoga book where the author talks about relaxing the core and how most of us walk around tight-arsed all the time.(clenching the anus muscle)

Thinking “relax & be calmer” is helping me in my practise.

#4

Are you with a teacher or are you teaching yourself at home through books and dvd’s?

#5

Saturdaysun,

I am no expert on Yoga, but I can tell you from a martial arts perspective that your tension is not coming from your previous training. In martial arts you develop fluid motion, tension slows a person down and inhibets power.

You are probably tense because you are learning something new. Any new physical skill is usually very awkward at first. Once you internalize the movement then grace will follow.

Michael

#6

Saturdaysun,

I do understand the intensity of training for martial arts is very different then for Yoga. I have the inclination to push myself physically very hard in martial arts and find the transition to the slower pace of yoga challenging (with the exception of “power yoga”). It is more like the cultivation of KI/CHi, something that can’t be forced (just experienced).

Michael

#7

try just accepting where you are at, there is a difference between focus and tension. How much focus may be best to use? A lot
how much tension? A little
just my opinion
we are what we think we are
brother neil

#8

You ask how much focus and tension to use in your asana practice. It’s a very good question. And there are many layers or answers, many levels of truth.

In the Samkhya tradition of Patanjali concentration and effort are essential elements for one on the path of yoga.

Both focus and effort should be employed powerfully but with no agression, violence, tension, gripping, holding, or spasm - either in mind or body. This is a cultivated skill.

If you are the sort of over does it in your life then you might back off to 75% of your maximum until you develop the awareness to work powerfully without gripping your jaw. If, on the other hand you traditionally only allow things to happen, sit back, let, then you might want to work a little more fervently.

#9

[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;13878]If you are the sort of over does it in your life then you might back off to 75% of your maximum until you develop the awareness to work powerfully without gripping your jaw. If, on the other hand you traditionally only allow things to happen, sit back, let, then you might want to work a little more fervently.[/QUOTE]
are you talking to me? I think this could be the slogan for my life. :wink:
be well
we are what we think we are
brother neil