Taking an Asana practice to the next level

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

I have had a consistent practice for three years. I take three classes a week, with the occasional workshop or extra practice a few times a month.

I have a desire to become stronger in my practice. I would like to achieve hanumanasana and full pigeon. Why the desire? Likely ego driven. I suppose it may not seem important to those that do not give hatha much concern.

For those that do have a strong practice, (by strong, I mean being able to do difficult poses with grace and finesse), what must I do to achieve the levels I desire? Is this going to be a daily practice? Home practice? Multiple times a day? Diet change? Sleeping pattern change? Lifestyle change?

What is it going to take?

#2

I am not that advanced in my asana practice (although I can do full lotus and walk around on my knees :)), IME to take anything to another level requires the help of an advanced instructor. Have you taken any teacher training, or considered private lessons?

#3

I’m joining you in this goal - I want to work on hanumanasana as well!

My view on that is the volume of exercise. I remember when I was working on handstand (handstand and variations are the most beautiful poses for me) and the sudden acceleration the moment I started to do it at gym (I go to gym 2,3 times a week). I used to go into handstand during every break between any other exercises. Very soon (2 months) I was able to go up in a controlled way from uttanasana without much problem. So I think the difference is in volume. What effect will be of doing handstand 2-3 times per week (usually at the end of the practice) or, (in my “gym” case) 3(times per week)20(times done per gym session)[3-5](repetitions per attempt) =[180-300] per week?

I was recently thinking about splits as well - I will try this “volume” approach and see what happens. Keep posting about your findings! I think I just cover “Multiple times a day” aspect.

#4

I’ve only been practicing a bit over 8 months, but what I’ve found is that practicing at the gym/studio is very beneficial, but practicing at home takes things to the next level.

Also, I’ve found that I have to be very careful to NOT focus on my strengths when I’m practicing at home or in the studio. I have very, very flexible hamstrings, flexible back, and strong arms/shoulders. So backbends, handstands, and supported headstands come easy. But my quads and hips are tight, and I have a relative core weakness, so lotus, ustrasana, and boat pose are tough!

My yogi constantly tells me to be patient, it will all come, but to remember to give the ego a break and work on the hard stuff even though it’s, well, hard!

#5

I have taken my yoga practice to the next level by changing how I view my practice. I no longer look at it as a means to get better with the means I practice, but as an expression of who I am and an expression of how I live life. Its my art form. The space in the studio is my canvas and my body is the paint brush. My practice has greatly transformed. I decided to no longer use the wall in handstand as an expression of my courage… after a couple of falls, I no longer need the wall for handstand…

#6

I have given this issue a fair amount of thought. I agree with Pawel that volume is helpful along with a few other key principles:

  1. Proper alignment is vital. It is easy to sickle the back foot in Hanamanasana. There are other alignment issues that are important to do this asana successfully.
  2. It is wise to access your strengths and weaknesses. Some people can do Hanumananasna on their first day of class. It takes others years if not decades to get there.
  3. Practicing just one pose over and over may not give you the opening you desire. A sequence of poses is more likely to help you attain your goal. You definitely want to warm up properly before going into Hanamanasana.

I think a good teacher can help with all three of these principles.

One more thought - keep an open mind. You might find that you can attain another goal because your body is better suited. For example, I was working hard on handstand and injured my shoulder from overtraining. While recovering I discovered that with my open hamstrings, I could put my ankle behind my head after several months of application. So, my curiosity took me in another direction. I think our curiosity and love for the asana should drive us, rather than our ego. My ego got me in trouble with handstand. It has been a sobering lesson.