On the mat, I attempt to separate thought from my practice. Note I said ‘attempt’. And in poses such as chair (utkatasana), my personal favorite (yeah right) I have done it! There is no thought… ONLY discomfort, pain or put nicely: feeling.
The physical feeling consumes the space between my ears as I horrifyingly glance around to see if anyone else hears the inner cries from my inner thighs. For every breath I take in while in this loving asana I am proving things to myself. Dammit. Mind over body. I am stronger than the urge to quit, which manifests in visible trembles, shortness of breath, snared lips, and furrowed brow. My body is sending warnings to my central nervous system faster than you can say Om Shanti. Body over mind.
photo credit: Ev0luti0nary
“In so far as the mind is stronger than the body, so are the ills contracted by the mind more severe than those contracted by the body.” -Cicero
Personally I always thought the mind is stronger than the body. As a young athlete I bought every sports psychology book I could get my hands on. I was a deep thinker, still am. Even now, I am a Certified Mental Trainer who utilizes cognitive behavior therapy and excitedly am putting this to yoga application. That was right, mind over body, without question, until…
Recently my principal teacher has introduced a radical counter; the body is stronger than the mind. My initial reaction: no way. But I respect this person so much, I had to reflect. It bothered me! So my wheels have been turning and as I think about it, I found something that has never resonated with me before, but it makes perfect sense, sorta.
Perhaps that is what yoga truly is: not the separation of mind and body, but the union or delicate harmony not of breath and movement (yes I know it is this too, chillax) but really mind and body where every breath joins the give and take of these like the middle layer of icing in a cake. The neural pathways in my mind are strengthened with every pose cue. One day it will become as natural and necessary as blinking. When a pose has options, my mind wants to play, but my body often says stay. So I compromise cunningly challenging myself to feel everything while keeping my mind ego at bay. I call this the yogic struggle; an oxymoron?
photo credit: chantel beam photography
If I push somewhere I am not ready to go, the body dominates and I cheat. I sacrifice alignment, knowingly or unknowingly. Yet if I stay in a too familiar place, the mind dominates and litters a smorgasbord of distracting thoughts all over my practice. I seek that fine line of balance, letting go of preoccupation and flirting with untapped physical prowess: the yogic struggle.
In all my years as an athlete, I never reached my full potential mentally or physically. I was plagued by injury and constant pain. The anxiety of performing under pressure got to me. Blah, blah, blah… But somehow, I still felt so free in action. (Cue the violins) I can look back and see how I never found the union of mind and body or thought and performance but sometimes just the lack of one was enough to provide a substantial “good feeling.”
Sometimes my mind leads the body and vice versa. The dynamic interplay is what comes out on the mat. I’ve muscled through a practice. I’ve gotten lost in my head through a practice. It’s the practices I don’t remember AND performed effortlessly that came out “the best.” Auto-pilot yoga. Funny, I get that same feeling when I…well you know.
It’s not mind over matter. It’s mind + matter = yoga = feeling = life = love.
This makes sense to me, but I ask what do you think? Is your yoga practice about mind over body or body over mind?
All I know is whoever minds does not matter and who ever matters does not mind. Enjoy a mashup of mind and matter from yours truly below.
As a yoga teacher I have the opinion it is neither or nor. There is not one mastering the other, the idea is harmony between both. Why do you have to make your inner thighs cry? Why do you have to challenge your body so much that your mind wants to give up? When I see manifestations like visible trembles, shortness of breath, snared lips, and furrowed brows on a student, I would tell him to relax and take it easy. You are fighting against your body instead of looking for harmony and balance. How can you find Sukha in a fight? I would recommend you look for "happiness," "ease" or "pleasure" in your practice and not for who is mastering whom.