Is Breathing an Asana?


It’s always fun when Amy drops in on one of my advanced studies classes. This time, it was in response to the provocative question “is breathing an asana? It sparked a very interesting exchange. Enjoy!

1 thought on “Is Breathing an Asana?”

  1. What a rich discussion! One thing that caught my attention was the apparent equation of “habitual” with “unconscious.” I am not sure that this is fair to habit. It seems to me that I can do something habitually with consciousness (or should this word be awareness?) or without it. One could say that the dialogue between Leslie and Amy has taken an habitual shape (let’s call it, “amiable adversaries have a chat” ), but, within that container, it certainly does not seem to lack awareness. I can brush my teeth either lost in thought or with attention, but I do still have the habit of brushing my teeth. And as I wrote this, I almost used “asana” as the example, instead of brushing my teeth, but then assumed Leslie would nail me: no consciousness, no asana, no matter how habitually we take to the mat.
    And now for some stilling of the fluctuations of the mind! Namaste!

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