How is the culture of asana practice different from ‘exercising’? A simple perspective is that when we try to exercise a part of the body (or the breath or mind) we are necessarily trying to control or regulate that part.  An asana, on the other hand, is a two-way process, where one is constantly engaged in interaction with the body (or breath or mind).  We don’t just try to regulate, we leave ourselves open to being regulated by the different parts of our embodiment.  

This conversation also gives scope for our instructions to become more subtle, nuanced.   In the case of muscles, there is a whole vocabulary beyond stretching/ pulling/ pumping the muscles.  This conversation, that might sound not just meaningless, but rather puzzling, to a lay person, provides a degree of richness to an asana practice that elevates it beyond mundane movements. In this session we encourage softness in the muscle, and test its influence on the overall execution of asanas.