Have you ever felt less than, or not good enough because you’ve wanted to take a regression or a step back from a certain movement or posture? Have you ever gone against your instincts or comfort zone to meet your own, your peers or your teacher’s expectations?
At Always, we know (after many years of our own learning) that it is simply not a big deal, nor an inconvenience to modify your practice. If somebody makes you feel that way, well, throw them in the bin!
It is your right to feel good in your body, and it is your right to do that in a way that feels safe.
Postures and shapes do not hold moral worth. Suffering in order to take the ‘full expression’ of a pose doesn't meld with the practices of mindfulness, non-attachment or releasing ego that we work with in yoga. A teacher of mine once said “there’s enough suffering in this world, you don’t need to add to it.”
Here are some reasons why you might modify:
You’re rocking an injury currently, or long term
You want to try a posture/sequence in a different way
You didn’t sleep well/had a long day/are physically or emotionally exhausted
Something doesn’t feel good in your body today (or any day)
Notice that at no point did we mention “if you are a beginner”. Absolutely, you can modify if you are a beginner, but that goes for the lifespan of your practice. You may have been practicing for 5 or 50 years, and choose to modify. Some of the most incredible teachers I’ve come across are incredible because of their ability to modify.
Modifications can make postures more accessible, but one does not fit all. For example, telling someone to hang out in downward facing dog instead of taking a vinyasa may not be ideal if they have trouble putting pressure on their wrists. Telling someone to take child’s pose instead of an entire sequence might not be great if they have baker’s cysts or a disc herniation.
As teachers, it is our responsibility to have an awareness of different bodies that are practicing with us, but with online teaching, obviously this can be a little tricky. As a student, being curious about your body and your needs (and their ever changing states) and as you learn the postures and transitions in yoga, you can learn how to modify and change it up on the fly.
Instead of trying to instruct and describe every modification possible, sometimes we find it helpful to take the whole class through a modified version of a sequence first, and then to offer options to build on that (or stay modified). We can’t wait to have the online Always Yoga community group up and ready, so our members can post pictures, videos and questions and get feedback and personalised suggestions from us.
So today, whether it be on your mat, or out in the world - how might you modify?
Click below for access to a free Vinyasa class, with modifications!
Make sure to stay tuned for our upcoming launch date for our online studio, where we offer a well-rounded range of classes designed to energise, to soothe, to challenge and to calm.
With love,
Emilie & Julie
♡
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