| Reading Unit 4 includes I: Standing asana, II: Forward Bends |
Chapter Summary
In this chapter Geeta presents a comprehensive exploration of foundational āsanas, beginning with a powerful architectural metaphor that sets the tone for understanding standing poses: “Without a firm foundation, a building cannot stand. Similarly, without the firm foundation of strong legs and feet, the brain, which is the seat of intelligence, cannot be held in correct alignment with the spine.” This metaphor establishes the critical importance of proper foundation in yoga practice.
Read Chapter Summary
Geeta Iyengar covers several categories of poses, including standing, forward, seated and supine poses. Geeta repeatedly emphasizes the interconnection between proper alignment and therapeutic benefit. For instance, she explains how precise positioning in standing poses affects not just structural alignment but also digestion, circulation, and hormonal balance. This understanding is particularly relevant for women’s health, with specific attention to how poses can address menstrual disorders, pregnancy-related issues, and menopausal symptoms.
The therapeutic applications are extensively detailed, demonstrating how these foundational poses affect various physiological systems – digestive, reproductive, nervous, and circulatory. The text consistently provides modifications and alternatives, ensuring that practitioners can work safely while maintaining the therapeutic intent of each pose.
Most notably, the unit maintains a careful balance between technical precision and accessibility, providing both detailed instruction for experienced practitioners and modifications for beginners. This approach makes these fundamental poses both accessible and profound, establishing the foundation for a complete yoga practice while honoring individual needs and capabilities.
Focus Questions
1. How does the text explain the relationship between standing poses and overall body intelligence?
2. What role do modifications play in making poses accessible while maintaining their benefits
3. How do different categories of poses work together to create balanced practice?
Session Summary
In our latest Yoga Readers session, we embarked on a fascinating journey through Chapter 7 of Geeta Iyengar’s seminal work “Yoga: A Gem for Women,” focusing on two fundamental categories of asanas that form the backbone of any yoga practice: standing postures and forward bends.
The Foundation of All Practice
Geeta Iyengar opens this chapter with a profound insight: “Without the firm foundation of strong legs and feet, the brain, which is the seat of intelligence, cannot be held in correct alignment with the spine.” This statement immediately connects physical alignment with mental clarity, echoing the philosophical principles of the Bhagavad Gita while grounding them in embodied practice.
What makes this teaching particularly fascinating is how Geeta immediately qualifies this foundational principle. While standing postures are indeed elementary and designed for beginners, she notes an important exception: those with weak hearts or high blood pressure should begin with inversions, then progress to specific standing postures starting with Utthita Trikonasana.
This nuanced approach reveals the sophistication of Iyengar yoga methodology – nothing is one-size-fits-all, and even foundational principles must be adapted to individual constitutional needs.
Beyond Physical Benefits: The Therapeutic Revolution
One of the most striking aspects of our reading was discovering the extensive therapeutic benefits Geeta attributes to standing postures (asanas 2-9). These poses don’t just strengthen legs and improve balance; they:
- Tone leg muscles and correct foot deformities
- Improve digestion and eliminate constipation
- Support liver, spleen, and kidney function
- Address reproductive system disorders, including ovarian malfunction and displaced uterus
- Help with structural issues like hunched back and slipped discs
- Develop stamina, strength, flexibility, and balance
For practitioners focused solely on alignment and technique, this comprehensive view of therapeutic benefits offers a revolutionary perspective on why we practice these seemingly simple poses.
The Sacred Science of Forward Bends
Moving into forward extensions, Geeta’s approach becomes even more specialized for women’s health. Paschimottanasana, which she calls “the foremost of all asanas,” receives particular attention for its effects on the reproductive system and nervous system.
The description of Paschimottanasana’s benefits reads like a prescription for modern life: it calms angry and passionate moods, sharpens memory, brings clarity of thought, and helps maintain a balanced attitude toward sexuality. For a practice written decades ago, these insights feel remarkably contemporary.
A Personal Touch: The Challenge of Surrender
During our session, participants shared which standing postures challenge them most. Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III) emerged as a common struggle, but equally interesting were those who mentioned the mental challenges of poses like Uttanasana – how self-critique and dissatisfaction can arise even in seemingly simple postures.
This highlights one of Geeta’s key insights: yoga postures are not just physical exercises but sophisticated tools for developing body intelligence and mental awareness.
Evolution of Teaching: Compassion in Action
One of the most revealing aspects of our close reading was examining Geeta’s modifications for “people with excessive weight” (using the language of her time). What emerges is not just accommodation but a revolutionary teaching methodology.
Instructions like “place heel against the wall” or “use a block for support” – modifications we now consider standard for all beginners – originally arose from Geeta’s compassionate response to students who couldn’t perform classical poses due to body size.
This reveals how compassionate teaching naturally evolves into better teaching for everyone. The props and modifications that began as accommodations have become integral to safe, progressive instruction.
Bridging Texts: Light on Yoga Meets Yoga: A Gem for Women
Our comparison between B.K.S. Iyengar’s “Light on Yoga” and Geeta’s approach revealed fascinating differences in teaching style:
B.K.S. Iyengar’s approach (1960s): Direct, result-oriented instructions that move practitioners straight into postures Geeta’s approach (1970s-90s): Gradual, layered progressions that emphasize internal precision and subjective experience
Neither approach is superior; they serve different needs and represent the evolution of Iyengar yoga teaching from external alignment to internal awareness.
The Continuing Journey
As we concluded our session, several themes emerged for further exploration:
- How do we balance effort with surrender in forward bends?
- What can we learn from practicing with props versus without?
- How do we adapt classical teachings for contemporary bodies and lifestyles?
These questions remind us that studying yoga texts is not about historical preservation but about living isdom continues to inform modern practice.
Next session: June 22nd, exploring twists, inversions, and abdominal asanas from “Yoga: A Gem for Women”
