Awkward Turtle Pose (aka Kurmasana)

Here it is. Yep, I know...(photo via sevayoga.net)

Each month at Tranquil Space, we have an "Asana (pose) of the Month." As teachers, we must work this pose into our classes for the entire month in order to challenge ourselves and our students with a new pose. Since I began teaching at Tranquil Space, I've absolutely loved the Asana of the Month, as it allows people (myself included!) an entire month to really get to know a pose, to play with it, to become better at it, to breathe through it, and to work into different variations of it. Typically, by the end of the month I'm slightly sick of the pose, but I usually feel that I've developed a great relationship with the asana by the time that we move on.

And then came October. Kurmasana (Tortoise Pose).

I know it's not a very yogic thing to say, but I really, really dislike (hate?) this pose. It's one of the few asanas that I feel this way about, and therefore (I know it's bad!), I never teach it. So, this month is going to be a challenge--and has been already (!). In the 3 classes that I've taught in October thus far, I've had a hard time not telling my students how I feel about this pose. Especially when they start to come into it and I see them looking at me like, "what are you doing to us? This is horrible! I hate you!!!" Okay, so I know that last part was in my head, but it really is a pose that often causes people to make miserable faces. Part of it, I believe, is having to move your head and chest closer to the floor while your arms are trapped under your legs--it feels very constricting and vulnerable. The other part, I believe, is the crazy sensation in the hamstrings, hips, inner thighs, back of the knees, etc. As one of my most bendy students said to me after class last night, "that's a scary pose! I felt like everything was pulling and I didn't like it. It was very scary." I know, I know, I thought, you're preaching to the choir.

So anyways, I digress. This post isn't about how much I dislike Kurmasana, it's about how yoga, as a practice, is always finding ways to push us beyond our edge. For me, as a teacher, it's pushing me to teach something to others that I don't feel connected to in my own body, and is therefore taking me out of my comfort zone and teaching me to just take it one step at a time, to just breathe through it and be in the moment. As a student, I'm also having to learn how to stay still (stop fidgeting!!!) and just breathe in a moment of discomfort or sensation. There are many times in our lives when we're stuck in a situation where we're uncomfortable and feel threatened, and poses like Kurmasana help us to learn how to stay present in these moments and grow stronger for getting through them.

For those who want to try the pose, Tranquil Space has done a great video (featuring the amazing Melissa VanOrman!) on how to come into it, here. And for a little inspiration, check out the fullest expression of the pose, below:

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Photo via flickr.com

So yes, a bit of an awkward turtle pose. And therefore, for me, this month is going to be an exploration. Why do I hate this pose so much? What is it about coming into it that makes me squirm? Why do I feel trapped? I'm going to encourage my students to do the same--to explore in this pose--and hopefully, but the end of the month we'll all have a relationship with this weird and uncomfortable Tortoise.

Slow and steady wins the race, right?

Namaste!
Mary Catherine