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Question: Please tell me what is the correct term for the time before a yoga session begins - when you come into a yoga class, place your mat on the floor, and do some breathing and relaxation, and maybe a little stretching? Is there a term for this yoga preparation time? And what is the correct term for yoga warm up exercises? Thank you. ~Peter Answer: What an interesting question, Peter. There is not, to my knowledge, a specific term for that preparation time before beginning the actual yoga practice. I can, however, share some thoughts about how to approach that personal preparation time.
In Patanjali yoga sutras, a defining text for classical yoga, the first sutra sets the stage for your question. That sutra reads, “Atha Yoganushasanam.” Translated, it means “now, the discipline (or inquiry) of yoga.”
That word “now” is key. When you approach your yoga practice, whether it is in class or a personal practice, the first thing you do is come into the present moment. In this very moment, before the class actually begins, you can notice what’s happening. You can notice a busy mind, still grabbling with problems at work. You can notice your physical body. You can notice emotions, breath, noise, or any other aspect of your experience. In this way, even if the class hasn’t officially started, you have begun your practice the moment you notice now.
I love thinking about yoga as an inquiry into now. Through questioning and curious attention, awareness expands. Then each new moment can be your yoga practice.
Staying present is also the answer to your other question about warm up exercises. There is not a special term for “warm up exercises.” Rather, all postures are called “asanas.” Whether or not one asana is a warm-up to another posture, or simply a posture in and of itself depends on the flow of your practice. Cobra and camel, for example, may be used for a warm-up to a full backbend, or just done for its own sake. In other words, what is this “now” calling for? |
