Mat Matters, Episode 9: Binding Basics

At Tranquil Space, our "Asana of the Month" for August is Marichyasana III, a pose that involves a deep twist and a serious bind. Because of this, I've been working lots of shoulder opening and binding--both half and full--into my classes lately, to prepare the shoulders for this intense twist and upper body rotation. 

However, as I've taught binds this month (and in the past), I've watched students force the bind over and over again. No matter how many times I try to explain it, break it down, and even say,"If the bind feels forced, come out of it!," people just want to make it happen. I think it's related to that drive that we all have to achieve, to work harder, and to reach our "goals."

With this in mind, here's what I want to emphasize today: I don't see a specific version of a pose as a goal. I see it as a suggestion, an option, a way to take the pose further if the basic version of the pose has become old hat for you or your body. Deeper variations of asanas offer us a chance to take the pose to a new place or challenge ourselves in a new way, but they aren't goals that must be achieved. And I think that's really hard for most people to understand.

So, today's Mat Matters video breaks down binds and talks about what a bind should look and feel like (and what it should not look and feel like!). I hope it will help you to better undertand the purpose of binds, whether or not they're right for your body, and/or whether or not you're at the point where you should be working on them in your practice. 

Happy shoulder opening!

Oh, and if you have any requests for upcoming videos, let me know :)

PS. I'm heading to West Virginia (to teach a mixed media workshop!) for the day, so I won't be sharing a dress painting this afternoon. Be back with one tomorrow!