Last week we hosted a student conference at the studio. It's a time for students to ask questions about the practice or how we teach. We had some especially good questions and I've continued to think about them over the last few days.
One student asked or commented on how she can't practice at 100% all the time. Clearly that's not possible and it's one of the most powerful and uncomfortable parts of this practice.
In ashtanga, the practitioner does the same sequence with some small variations nearly every day. Since the practice doesn't change, it makes day to day sensation more apparent. What you find is that you don't always finish with the happy go-lucky feeling we associate with today's yoga. This is part of Astanga's power; to shine a light on how things truly are. And perhaps it's the closest thing to being present and aware we feel each day.
Back to the question from conference. First, being able to accept yourself at less that "100%" is quite a task. It's really difficult in fact. Second, with practice we come to realize that 100% looks different everyday. As our awareness increases we are better able to walk the line between too much and not enough. What if 100% is more about how closely you can walk that line than what each posture looks like day to day? Hmmmmmmm.....
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