One day, one of the greatest violin virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin decided to learn yoga.
Because Menuhin’s schedule was so packed, Iyengar has only 5 minutes to teach yoga.
And a wild guess what asana did Iyengar teach Menuhin??
Savasana!
The five minute session stretched out into three and a half hours as Menuhin felt rejuvenated listening to Iyengar’s instruction. And when Menuhin mentioned that he was almost constantly tired, was never really able to relax, and was unable to sleep, in less than one minute Iyengar apparently had him dozing and snoring gently away for the first time in days! The two men formed an extremely close friendship which lasted until Menuhin’s death 47 years later in 1999.
Fast forward to 2015, here I am, learning yoga at IHA.
So if I am to teach my grandmother yoga and she only has an attention span of 5 minutes, what will I teach?
I will teach Tadasana.
My grandmother is also a dominant Kapha. She rarely moves. She is big and has bowlegs. Moreover her age is catching up, she has difficulty in walking.
Tadasana strengthens the abdomens and legs, also reduces flat feet.
Muscle awareness is vital in this posture, especially inner thighs and hips area. Moderate tension in these areas can increase the muscles, which in turn helps prevent injury.
Moreover, as you lift your chest by opening your rib cage, you are increasing your lung capacity, strengthening your intercostal muscle as well.
That’s all for now.
I’ll let you know again if my grandmother can hold Tadasana for 5 breaths! ☺
Wendy Loh
(5/6)
(200 hour Hatha Vinyasa TTC 28 Sept – 30 Oct 2015)
