Often enough students interrupt their practice right before a challenging pose to do some extra stretches. Most of the time, when I encourage them to skip the warm-up, the struggle pose turns out just fine.
There are 4 reasons why I advise against extra stretches in the middle of the Ashtanga practice. Let’s dive right in:
1. They interrupt the flow state of the Ashtanga practice
Ashtanga Yoga is a method combining static and dynamic elements that are equally important. The asanas are held for usually 5 breaths and are linked between them through dynamic transitions (“vinyasas”). This combination allows us to work equally on flexibility, strength, endurance and coordination.
The rhythmic element, along with the practice’s internal components (breath, gaze and bandha) make Ashtanga Yoga a truly meditative practice.
However, this meditative quality can be disrupted if we break the rhythm to add things that do not belong there, such as extra stretches. The heart rate drops and we lose some of the built up heat. The dynamic element brought by the vinyasa disappears. While we engage in passive stretching, our mind starts wandering and the deep concentration we have been cultivating is gone.
We need to keep in mind that the quality of the Ashtanga practice is not measured by the degree of flexibility or the number of advanced asanas one practices. It is determined by whether or not one can maintain an uninterrupted flow, a steady body and mind and a calm breathing.
2. They make the practice all about flexibility
The beauty of Ashtanga is in the equal amounts of strength and flexibility that are required for most asanas. Even the ones that are seemingly only about flexibility, require in reality strength and body steadiness to be performed safely and sustainably.
Take Kapotasana for instance. If the legs are not strong enough to keep your pelvis forward, you will collapse and hinge at the lower back. This can cause pain and eventually injury. This is why Kapotasana only comes after a series of less complex backbends that make the legs strong (especially Laghuvajrasana, that comes right before). At the same time, the vinyasas in between Ustrasana and Kapotasana focus on building core strength to counterbalance the intense flexibility work.
Flexibility and strength really need to be in balance and Ashtanga Yoga is wisely constructed to help achieve this. Too many stretches in between asanas offset this balance at the expense of strength. As a result, many practitioners overstretch their muscles and connective tissues. Most Yoga injuries happen because of hyper mobile joints and lack of strength in the surrounding muscles.
3. Most of the times they are not necessary
If you’re someone who adds a lot of extra stretches before certain asanas I invite you to try - at least once - to just go through the series as it is. All Ashtanga series are constructed in a way that one asana leads to the next. That way, the body gradually gets ready for more and more complex patterns of movement. All the preparation you need can really be found earlier on in the series.
So the extra work is most often unnecessary. What it really does is reassure our mind that we’re ready for the difficult asana. We feel that we have put in the necessary work and therefore we are more calm while attempting it. So we’re better at it - not because of the extra work itself but because of the effect this extra work has on our mind.
The challenge then is to work on our confidence and face what scares us head on.
4. They make the practice too performance oriented
The reason why students like to prepare before challenging poses is that they expect them to look a certain way. They want to cross their feet behind the head in Supta Kurmasana and catch their heels in Kapotasana.
It’s not wrong to have goals. But if we overload our practice with too many expectations it can quickly become a chore, yet another thing in our to do list. If our mind is too focused on the external outcome, we can wind up losing the capacity to love our practice for what it really is: an honest, inward journey to the heart of our being. If we constantly think of how well we perform, then the moment we don’t perform so well anymore we will quit, thinking that Yoga doesn’t work.
Yoga always works. Showing up is what matters. The rest will follow. Allowing your practice to teach you to let go and accept things the way they are is much more important than achieving perfect shapes. Having faith in yourself and the practice - no matter the outcome - will take you deeper into the real Yoga.
A few suggestions for days when you feel too stiff
If you really need it, do a short warm up before you start your practice. Try some days with and some without and notice if there is a big difference. Sometimes we think we need things we don’t really need.
If you want to use props like yoga wheel, foam rollers etc to target a specific area that needs extra work, do it outside your practice.
Try doing your struggle pose up to 3 times. Don’t skip the vinyasas in between and follow the rhythm as much as you can.
