Samasthiti
Samasthiti, in practice, in life
When I arrive on the scene to teach class, the "style" I teach doesn't just depend on the class itself, as in Active Relaxation, Eating Disorders, Osteoporosis, Anxiety, Addiction. It depends on the group and their individual and collective needs and moods. This week, a storm front and a full moon had me, again, like last week, in a rare form, perhaps unrecognizable for regular attendees. Like last week (if you read the newsletter and blog), the message was clear: I am not here to pander or play, I'm here to fulfill my dharma to teach you Yoga.
It all began with samasthiti, the most familiar Yoga āsana besides śavāsana. Our reference point for all standing āsana-s. Composed of two words. Equal. Stay.
Today, a group of middle and high school young women, mid summer, living in a residence and under the influence of teenage hormones and a full moon, may have been a challenge to gather. Sensing a confluence of a multitude of personalities and degrees of interest, I left zero room for introducing a Yoga topic or checking in, and I samasthiti-ed up. And guided them to. Hands on hips, eyes rolling, feet apart, weight in one leg, whispering, laughing, serious, dismissive, curious, ready, not at all interested - every permutation present just stared at me.
No. Not today.
Here’s how we do it. Stand with the legs together, feet parallel, spine upright, and jālaṁdharabandha engaged. Legs straight, weight evenly distributed in both feet, rear relaxed. Keep the shoulders relaxed and even and the arms alongside the torso and straight, palms touching the sides of the legs. Keep the mouth closed with a slight gap between the teeth and the eyes open and looking down at the ground a distance away.
We’ll all wait patiently while everyone joins us. We’ll…all…wait…patiently…while…everyone…joins…us. We’re practicing waiting patiently while everyone joins us. The eyes of durga, as my eyes were once called by a former teacher, upon the noncompliant, so no one is confused regarding to whom I am speaking. Memo received, observance of the practices began, reluctantly. In a typical srsti/siksana manner, I taught age appropriate Yoga, toned down for weakened bodies that needed strength. No smiling today, just directing, redirecting, directing, redirecting. Clear, concise, breath-leading instructions that could not be misconstrued. As class evolved, the intentional non-compliance dwindled, replaced by a safety that comes from being held by Yoga’s tools, disseminated with no frills and a caring, firm teacher.
I rarely teach samasthiti exactly like that, but today I had to. I arrive in my teaching environments already Yoga-ed. And I start the class in samasthiti myself, upright, finding my own center, jalamdhara bandha engaging, breathing amplified. It’s a samskara, a preparation, for me. It not only sets me up on equal footing for the teaching task at hand physically, but metaphorically. My mind, breath and body have to enter a special type of linking together to do my job well. From there, who knows what will emerge from me or in the class setting, but I will be ready, and it will be authentically me and Yoga. Improvisation is the norm in 1:1 and group settings, and reading the room and adapting to teach to the students in front of me is ever possible when I am in my center.