What does a yoga body look like? Part 2.
Part 2: Seeking Balance in a World Without.
Part 1 can be found here.
I’ve been thinking, talking, and writing quite a lot about bodies these days. Apparently, I’m not the only one– yogis responded en masse to my recent question to the yoga community, What Does a Yoga Body Look Like? I’ve been so inspired the comments– women declaring “my curves and changes were made to create a dwelling place for my children in their conception,” “my body is the dwelling place of my soul,” and “my six pack abs and rockin’ triceps are a side product of spiritual exploration and self-inquiry.” I love it. Those comments inspire me like you can only imagine.
If anything, the massive response on that post affirmed to me just how important this conversation is. I think we all too often keep these discussions relegated to the darkened halls of our own minds, afraid to “stand out”, “be visible”, shine a light on an issue that will necessarily point a finger back at our own selves. How can you read an article about bodies and then not get curious about what the author’s body looks like? Yea! I know you scrolled down to take a gander at my picture, and– hell, yes– it makes me feel self-conscious.
But you know what? This is too important a conversation to avoid for fear of being seen, judged, critiqued. Many of us have been taught our entire lives to control our bodies’ wild whims, to keep them quiet and hidden beneath the cloaks of invisibility. It starts as early as potty-training; we learn to rigidly control the natural wisdom of our bodies so that we’re able to function in a civilized society. We tell it what, when, and how to give expression to its urges– we shame it when it doesn’t follow the “rules”. And don’t you think those early childhood experiences are inconsequential; the mind and body are inextricably linked. Have you ever met someone Freud would have called “anal-retentive“? Yea, then you know what I’m talking about.
Now, I’m not advocating we stop teaching our kids to use the toilet or start defecating in the streets. Rather, I think the upsurge we’re witnessing of yoga and other “mind-body-spirit” practices in our culture reflects a common desire we all share to strike a balance in relationship between body, spirit, and mind*. Even if we’re not consciously aware of it, I think we sense that something’s off– there’s too much disconnect, too little acceptance, too many mind-over-body manifestos, and far too few opportunities to allow the spirit to speak through the body to the mind itself. Does that make sense? I hope it does. I admittedly don’t have it all figured out just yet; as I said earlier, I’m still trying to hold the paradox within and for myself.
My experience has been that yoga beckons me to come back to my body, to feel the rhythm of my heart, to see– really see– the epidemic of hatred, abuse, and disconnect that’s reigned supreme for far too long. I come to my mat to practice relating to my body in a different way . In just a few years, I’ve already seen this practice seep into so many other dimensions of my life. Somehow by learning to find equanimity within the safe space of a 71 x 26 inch piece of rubber, I’m able to take those lessons off my mat and begin contributing to the move toward balance on a global scale.
If we can be compassionate, self-aware, connected to a deep, inexplicable wisdom inside us on our yoga mats… Well, maybe we can carry that same presence into relationships with neighbors, abusers, even the earth that bestows us with life. Maybe, with practice, we can move from the personal to the interpersonal… maybe we can transcend the boundaries of our own body to to start the process of healing our collective body as well.
So what does a yoga body look like? I think it’s still open for discussion. When we talk about yoga bodies, are we referring to just the physical body or are we talking about something bigger, something that encompasses mind, body and spirit? Is a yoga body a body that imbues balance and connection– even if it doesn’t fit societal images of “health”? And what about this collective body I referred to… are bodies limited to our personal selves?
In Part 3, I’ll explore those questions and that notion of our collective body further. Stay tuned. Even I’m not quite sure what’s coming next. 
*Please note that I’m making a distinction here between mind, body, and spirit for the purposes of this discussion, but these three concepts are intricately intertwined and by some frames of reference one in the same.
via Yoga Modern
Incorrect source, offensive, or found a typo? Or do you want to write for Elephant?
Another great article, Chelsea. I like that you're making this a series.
Posting to Elephant Yoga on Facebook and Twitter.
Bob W.
Yoga Editor
Thanks, Bob.
The topic calls for it, I think.
Thank you for making us going deep in ourselves….those are difficult times…..
Wow. That's a really inspiring story to hear Jack… so different from my own, and yet so very similar! I'm working toward that sentiment you allude to there at the end… that sense that my body shines with divinity, regardless the circumstance. The image you paint is absolutely beautiful, it brought a smile to my face. Thank you for sharing.
Hi, I just wanted to say that I am glad you are continuing with this theme. In the last article, and in some of the above comments, a theme keeps coming up regarding the way that yoga can save us from negative/abusive forms of exercise.
I agree, but I was so greatful to read in Part I about the possibility of this benefit of yoga being lost. An issue was raised regarding a scenario in which teacher tells the class "this pose will give you rock hard abs" and a 17 year old participant is troubled by this because yoga was suggested to her as a way to overcome bulimia.
I wanted to say that Yoga can be abused too, and that it made my heart swell to read these words. I practiced yoga for five years before, at 26, I became anorexic, as I had been when I was 14. The weird thing was that I tried at first to continue my usual yoga practice as I became sicker and sicker, but over time it got to the point where I would do hours and hours of yoga, enjoying any class that was labelled as "yoga burn" and doing advanced DVD routines multiple times. I even had a teacher who pushed me very far, seemingly amazed by what my body could do. My point is just that I had lost the "spirit" of yoga in the course of my sickness. It was no longer something that could help me connect to my body, but something that I used and abused as a tool for weight loss. This took place while studying abroad in europe. But, after returning and recovering with the help of a boulder based organization that really saved my life, I found that yoga classes often re-awakened this sick urge. Especially classes that were based on getting fit. I understand that yoga is partially physical, and that a lot of people are attracted to yoga, at least initially, to get in shape. But sometimes it is just too much. I attended a class in which the teacher actually said "you've got to keep holding bridge if you want to burn that belly flab." Yoga is in many ways my therapy, and it is painful for me to hear these body bashing words when I have a history of some pretty intense body bashing. So, my point in sharing this is just to acknowledge, and express my gratitudein elephant and Chelsea for bring up, that these issues are important! "Yoga bodies" come in all shapes and sizes, and the most beautifying aspect of yoga in my opinion is that sort of glow one gets when they experience that feeling of deep connectedness. If we focus only on yoga as an exercise tool, the real benefits and beauty of yoga are lost.
Thanks for sharing this with us, firstene. I appreciate your focus on the sense of deep connectedness with one's self and body as opposed to a change in body shape or size.
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Hmmmm. I like that, James. No complaints. And I like that you recognize too that part of what leads to that feeling is psychological. For me, some days are "no complaints" and some are definitely not… even if my body has hardly changed at all overnight. The first step is recognition though, and then I come to my mat and can often find that "no complaints" feeling once again.