Beginners’ Yoga and Advanced Practice

Recently I asked students in class what they thought ‘advanced practice’ looked like. I had prepared for this class more challenging poses in terms of muscular efforts and I wanted to be sure they chose the options for the movements which was best for them in this instant.

Why advanced practice matters for beginners?

Most of the students I teach are beginners. At first, they were surprised by the question itself. However, the question matters for beginners as our thoughts inform our practice. So, depending on what we think advanced practice looks like, it is for sure going to influence the practice of today wherever you are in your practice.

So back to my slightly puzzled students, they started giving me answers. Most of them said advanced practice is to do the difficult poses such as head stand or the split, not that I teach those. Interestingly, some mentioned it was about being aware.

Let the pose serve the body

The concept of advanced practice and its origins

I am a big fan of ChatGPT, so out of curiosity, I asked this AI tool the question. This is what it said: “an advanced yoga practice goes beyond physical postures (asanas) and incorporates deeper aspects of yoga, such as breath control (pranayama), meditation, mindfulness and philosophy. It requires a strong foundation in the basics and an increased awareness of the mind-body connection.”

Yoga arrived in the West early 20th century, but it really gained popularity from the mid 50’s with BKS Iyengar who became a reference for modern yoga. Nowadays when many think of yoga, they think of slender bodies able to go in complex back bend or forward bend or hips openers, this has been reinforced with Instagram.

The spiritual aspect of yoga

What we forget in the west, is that yoga is part of 8 limbs (or components) as outlined in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the reference text for yoga. Those 8 limbs serve as guidelines for ethical living, physical health, mental clarity and ultimately enlightenment. According to the source, the physical practice (asanas) is to prepare the body for meditation, nothing else.

If we believe that advanced yoga is limited to the physical aspects, we are missing the point, as it means yoga is no different from going to the gym. Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen explains it when she says not to sacrifice the body to the glory of the pose but let the pose serve the body instead.

We cook with with the ingredients we have.

Advanced practice and deep awareness

For me, advanced practice is about deep awareness of your body and mind and having the two connected. It is about choosing the right options during a class, not because they conform to an ideal but because that is what the body needs at this precise instant. As Norman Blair summed it up: “We cook with the ingredients we have”.

We all have different bodies, different background, different age and therefore are at different stages in life. I truly believe that each person in a class should adapt the poses to their own body, hence the various options offered. To choose the most beneficial option requires practice of body awareness and mindfulness of being intently present in the moment. For me, being intently conscious and aware is what advanced practice is.

I hope this will inspire you next time you step onto the mat.