Some years in the past, I led some yoga scholars thru a fairly long sequence of leg-stretching asanas according to Supta Padanghustasana (Supine Large Toe Pose). At the moment, I had all the time ended the sequence with a one-legged model of Yoganidrasana (ankles in the back of the pinnacle). After all, the general public in my categories really feel beautiful versatile if their foot finally ends up inside of a couple of inches in their faces. And truthfully, that’s truly rather versatile in comparison to the typical particular person in the street. Some may even suppose that’s a sign of being a complicated yogi.

The orientation and intensity of many of us’s hip sockets won’t ever permit an Instagram superstar expression of the pose. I’m probably the most few folks whose hip joints are amenable to Yoganidrasana, and to poses reminiscent of Padmasana (Lotus Pose). I don’t take explicit satisfaction on this; it’s now not one thing I earned thru exhausting paintings. It’s merely a genetic variation I inherited from my gymnast father.

Yoganidrasana and the SI Joint

The directions for shifting into Yoganidrasana can also be complicated to scholars, most certainly for the reason that pose has not anything in commonplace with on a regular basis motion. After I demonstrated Yoganidrasana, it was once for readability. It was once, in reality, useful to reveal the model that the general public can accomplish. This comes to bending one knee towards the chest, striking the ankle within the bend of the other elbow and drawing the leg in towards the chest. As I presented the choice—rather jokingly—of slipping the ankle in the back of the pinnacle, it happened to me to do what I’ve regularly executed: Exhibit.

For per week previous to this magnificence, I’d been suffering with sacroiliac (SI) ache and sciatica. I characteristic this to my genetically free joints, along side years of training alignment directions that I later discovered to be irrelevant. As well as, younger enthusiasm impressed me to check out each “complex” pose I may drive myself into again within the Nineteen Eighties. Consequently, my SI joint has transform fragile and volatile.

Trashing Your SI Joint Does Now not Make Any individual an Complex Yogi

My SI joint is the proverbial canary within the coal mine for me. On one hand, it’s rather helpful; it offers me speedy comments when my alignment is ever-so-slightly dangerous. I’ve discovered volumes about wholesome SI-joint alignment from dwelling with this extraordinarily delicate and communicative joint. Then again, my SI joint misaligns simply and turns excruciatingly painful on the slightest provocation.

So this time, once I had the method to reveal Yoganidrasana, I selected the prudent trail and opted out. Via opting out, I stored myself SI hassle. However extra vital, I walked my communicate. I might by no means inspire a pupil to push previous SI and sciatica ache. The one motivation I will be able to recall to mind for sliding my foot in the back of my head could be to end up that I may do it, to turn my scholars what an “complex yogi” I’m.

Why Magnificence Ranges Don’t Paintings for Yoga

I’ve lengthy advocated for a unique definition of the “complex” yogi. Outlined magnificence ranges (Stage 1, 2, 3 and four) appear synthetic, restricting and erroneous to me. Some folks come to yoga with our bodies that can do nearly each pose at the first day. For instance, some folks can push up into Urdva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow) with instantly fingers (the requirement for coming into some Stage 3 categories) and not using a restrictions. Then again, a yogi with 30 years’ revel in could have been born with extra solid joints. Extra solid joints will regularly now not permit fingers to be instantly in Upward Bow. This particular person would now not be capable to attend an “complex” magnificence. Those parameters don’t appear helpful to me.

What Is an Complex Yogi?

For me, a complicated yogi is one that has a two-way conversation along with his/her frame—talking and listening. A complicated yogi has the revel in to understand when he/she is just too exhausted, injured or fragile to observe a specific pose. An skilled yogi is aware of that the level to which you’ll stretch, the choice of Chaturangas (yoga push-ups) you’ll do, the duration of time you’ll keep in Headstand, or having instantly fingers in Urdva Dhanurasana does now not subject within the grand scheme. A complicated yogi’s ego is in test sufficient to understand that what your frame can or can’t do isn’t a measure of your dedication to yoga. The mature yoga practitioner is aware of that simply because you can do a specific pose doesn’t imply that you simply must.

Donna Farhi teaches that complex yogis might select to decide out of doing essentially the most “complex” diversifications of poses, fairly than push themselves to the purpose of damage. Complex yogis are the individuals who know that yoga isn’t about efficiency, however about freedom from the wish to carry out. I’ve to agree. My determination to decide out of Yoganidrasana tastes way more of freedom than wedging my ankle in the back of my head ever may.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found out yoga in 1982 and started instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the creator of Aware Yoga, Aware Lifestyles: A Information for On a regular basis Observe and Yoga for Meditators, each printed through Rodmell Press. Her 3rd e-book is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Protective the Hips and Fending off SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a per 30 days column for CATALYST Mag and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and people sextet Purple Rock Rondo, whose DVD received two Emmy awards in 2010.