The following is an excerpt from

Accessible Yoga

By Jivana Heyman

Accessible Yoga

Accessible Yoga

$27.95 - Paperback

By: Jivana Heyman

Finding the Essence of a Pose

Asana (the Sanskrit word for yoga pose) is just one part of yoga, but it’s an important part, and it can be made accessible to everyone who is interested. The question everyone has is, “How do I start? How do I find a way into a practice that seems so physically challenging?” The answer is to start where you are.

When you consider practicing a new yoga pose, it’s easy to look at the “full expression” of the pose and think, “I’ll never be able to do that.” The fact is, the full expression of a pose—or an advanced variation—isn’t actually better than any other variation. Remember, peace of mind is the goal of yoga, and physical ability does not correlate to peace of mind. Someone who is strong and flexible is not necessarily more peaceful.

To practice yoga, we need to understand the relationship between its physical practices and the subtle practices such as relaxation, breathing, and meditation. In fact, in yoga, more subtle is more powerful. Asana practice creates an opportunity for the mind to get quiet, but your ability to quiet your mind is not the result of how “advanced” the pose you’re doing is; it’s actually the result of how focused you are. It’s not what you do, but how you do it.

My first yoga teacher, Kazuko, also happened to be a master of the Japanese tea ceremony. She showed me how the seemingly simple act of making a cup of tea can be turned into an art form and a spiritual practice. It wasn’t the complexity or difficulty of making the tea that made it special. On the contrary, it was the simplicity of the practice and the ability to stay completely focused in the present moment that was key. The same is true in yoga.

This present moment awareness can also help us find that balance between stretching and straining in our practice. Pushing too hard in asana and practicing variations that are too advanced can move us away from the goal of yoga. Similarly, giving up and thinking, “I’ll never be able to do that pose” misses the point.

For example, think of Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana), where you lie facedown on the ground and raise your head, neck, and chest. If you look at images of Cobra Pose on social media, you’ll probably think, “Forget it!” This is a shame because it is one of the poses that offers benefit for almost everyone.

So what can you do? If you can’t get down on the floor, does that mean you can’t practice Cobra Pose? No, because there are endless variations of this asana, including practicing in a chair, kneeling, standing, or lying in bed. In fact, there are as many variations of Cobra Pose as there are people practicing it.

So the way to start practicing a new pose is to consider, “Why do this practice, and what are the benefits?” Cobra Pose has many benefits, but let’s focus on two main ones. It is great for posture, since it strengthens the upper back and moves the spine in the opposite direction of our normal slouching position. It is also a heart-opener, which means it expands the area of the chest around the heart and allows us to expose our emotional heart to the world.

Try It: Creating Cobra Pose

First, think of the energetic movements of Cobra Pose, including expanding the chest and strengthening the upper back. How can you create the experience of the pose where you are right now?

  • Begin by trying to experience Cobra Pose in your mind.
  • Imagine lengthening your spine and creating a gentle arch in your upper back and neck.
  • Then see if you can experience it in a very gentle way in your body by slowly moving into that shape and expanding the area around your heart. These can be micromovements that are barely visible to the eye.
  • Notice all the sensations you experience in your body; notice what your breath is doing.
  • Then rest and notice how you feel after practicing that pose.
  • The moment after you do a practice is very important. Always take a moment after each pose to notice how you feel: what changed physically, emotionally, and mentally?

Ways to Adapt

Use Props

Using props may be the most important way that we can make asana accessible. I know that in some public yoga classes the use of props can be discouraged, or there may be a stigma related to props that keeps people from using them. However, props offer so many benefits that it’s challenging to think of reasons not to use them!

Props can support our efforts to find the essence of the asana. First we ask, “What am I working toward experiencing in the pose? What muscle groups need to lift and are working in the pose, and what muscle groups are releasing and relaxing in the pose?” It can take time to find this yourself.

First, let’s consider some of the reasons to use props and how they can support, and even deepen, your asana practice.

Props Can Raise the Floor

Our favorite prop, the ground, is an essential element of asana practice. Every time you practice on a mat, you use the ground as a partner in your practice. It offers support, resistance, and even a massage to the internal organs. Most yoga practitioners don’t realize they are already using props when they practice on the smooth floor of a yoga studio, the grass of a park, or the sand of a beach. They also don’t realize they’re using a prop—a yoga mat—to help with grip and stability.

To assist in making asana more accessible, it can be helpful to raise the floor to us rather than always reaching down toward the floor. This is also the purpose of a chair or a bed—they bring the floor to us.

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Try It: Practice Chair Mountain Pose

  • Sit tall in a chair and notice the position of your thighs.
  • If your knees are lower than your hips, try placing a folded blanket under your feet to make your thighs parallel to the floor. In this way you are raising the floor to your feet rather than lowering your feet to the floor.
  • If your knees are higher than your hips, try placing a blanket under your buttocks to sit higher.

Accessible Yoga

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Jivana Heyman Jivana Heyman, C-IAYT, E-RYT500, is the founder and director of Accessible Yoga, an international non-profit organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings for people of all abilities and backgrounds. Accessible Yoga offers two Conferences per year, which focus on community-building and education, as well as a popular Ambassador program and Accessible Yoga Trainings. Jivana is co-owner of the Santa Barbara Yoga Center and an Integral Yoga Minister. For over twenty-five years Jivana has specialized in teaching yoga to people with disabilities with an emphasis on social engagement. Find out more about Jivana's work at www.accessibleyoga.org. Learn more.