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Dog is the best position
‘Yoga’ means ‘to join,’ ‘to yoke,’ ‘to unite.’
Melding body and mind in the moment
until the thought of a thought of a thought
echoes in the movement of a movement
and the locus of time ceases to be.
In downward dog you plant your hands out front
and your feet behind, raising your hips in
an upside down ‘V.’ It stretches your calves
and your hamstrings, loosens up your shoulders
and encourages steadier breathing.
Boat pose is the opposite to this. You
sit on your buttocks and lean back, keeping
your legs out. You balance on your femur
and hold out your arms. Your navel contracts,
your abdominals tense and your toes point.
In bridge you start on your back, and set your
feet firmly on the ground. Your knees bend and
you exhale, pushing your tailbone upwards
towards the pubis. You feel a deep burn
inside the gluteus and the back thighs.
There can be little doubt that the person
who invested yoga was a mystic
of great foresight, who sought to nourish the
souls of their pupils with love– and also,
more than just a little bit perverted.
