Most Effective Yoga Adaptations of 20 Superposes

Yoga poses are TOOLS, not sacred shapes.

Yoga poses are PRANA PUMPS, not muscle builders.

Somebody once told me, “I want to practice yoga so I can have arms like Madonna.” We are a bit obsessed with the physical aspect of yoga practice. There is nothing wrong with wanting to have a strong, healthy body, but you must remember that there is more to a human being than shapely shoulders and loose hamstrings. Yoga postures are about moving energy throughout the body, which helps to keep it healthy, strong, and resilient.

Yoga postures are MEANS, not the destination.

I have had students seek my help in mastering a difficult pose such as Headstand or even a jump- through from Standing Forward Bend to Chatturanga. Working on difficult poses and movements challenges your body in an unusual way and can give you a wonderful sense of accomplishment. That is great, but then what?

Shared function for a group of poses.

All yoga poses are grouped into categories based on the position of the spine. There are forward bends, back bends, twists, lateral bends, and axial extension postures. All poses that belong in one of those categories will have the same main function. For example, the primary intention of all forward bends is to stretch the posterior (back) structures of the body.

Specific function.

Every yoga pose also has a specific effect on the muscles and joints. To arrange the body into the pose, some muscles will actively contract, and others will passively stretch. Knowing which muscles are involved in each individual pose and what their action is helps to target specific body areas more precisely. By slightly changing the form of a pose (for example, the position of the arms), you can target different body areas.

Individual function.

Each student’s individual physical structure, as well as his or her history of body use and abuse, means that the same pose will not have the same effect for everyone. That is why it is important to take individual differences into account when designing yoga practices, especially when working with students one-on-one.

Positional function.

The purpose of the pose can change depending on its placement in the yoga sequence. For example, you might place Vajrasana at the beginning of the practice to warm up the lower back, and then use it again after Ustrasana to compensate for the physical demands of that pose and mobilize the lower back, neck, and shoulders.