“Cleanse your chakras, fix your aura…” The fashion for yoga has spread so widely in Russia that these words are pronounced as if they were dry cleaning services. Specialized centers are opening, where “gurus” are broadcasting, and beginning Russian yogis are ready to tie themselves in knots with enthusiasm, and then end up in a surgeon's office with injuries of varying severity.
The story of one famous Russian figure skater is a classic example: several years ago he became interested in yoga, became a vegetarian, and enthusiastically performed asanas. But soon he began to have serious problems with his knee joint, which almost led to the end of his sports career. He lost a lot of strength and time, dropped out of the training process, and now his successful performance at the Olympics is in question – he skates through pain. Although yoga itself is not to blame. We ourselves are to blame for everything, because we do not take into account one important thing: yoga originated in India and Tibet. It has been practiced for centuries by the inhabitants of Southeast Asia. This region is strikingly different from Europe in climate, culture, mentality, and most importantly – in the physiological characteristics of the ethnic groups living here. To paraphrase a well-known proverb, we can say: what is good for an Indian is an injury for a Russian or a German. Both physical and psychological.
Lesson One: How the Body Is Mutilated
From the yoga point of view, one of the important differences between Caucasians and Indians is the structure of the musculoskeletal system. The former have a more rigid one, with not very mobile joints. Indians have a soft, flexible one. ''Indians have a different genetic memory. If people practice yoga from generation to generation – just like, for example, the Chinese do wushu – then their musculoskeletal system functions differently. And when a European begins to bend unnaturally, this is naturally fraught with injuries. Therefore, of course, I see risks for unprepared people, especially if they begin to practice yoga after 30 years. Joints and spine may suffer,'' comments Professor of the Moscow Medical Academy named after I.M. Sechenov Sergei Arkhipov, a doctor who has treated many Russian sports stars.
Yoga adherents, interestingly, do not deny this thesis. “People who are used to sitting on the floor since childhood have differently bent joints. The body is more flexible, not so dry, muscles are less tense. But when a European sits with his legs crossed without training, he, as a rule, does not hold it for long,” explains Elena Ulmasbaeva, director of the Moscow Iyengar Yoga Center.
But it is not only about the memory of genes. Nutritional traditions and climate play a huge role in the formation of the body. Vegetarianism, a common practice for Hindus, gives a person a completely different set of microelements, and accordingly forms other characteristics of the body. Climatic conditions, in turn, also set different tasks for the body: it is one thing to do sports in chronic heat and quite another – in sudden temperature changes and especially in the cold. According to Professor Arkhipov, in our cold country we need more dynamic loads aimed at increasing the temperature of the body, which usually “sleeps”, remembering from time immemorial that it is necessary to save energy. And if without proper warming up you also twist your joints – this is simply dangerous.
Lesson Two: How Consciousness Breaks Down
But the problem is not only in physiology: yoga is not just exercises for the body, it is a mental, psychological and religious practice. What relation do we, Europeans, have to the beliefs of the Hindus? None at all! That is why trying on something foreign is sometimes inappropriate. “Many of us – whether we like it or not – have absorbed the foundations of another culture, Orthodoxy and were brought up differently,” says Olga Tiunova, head of the laboratory of physical education and practical psychology at VNIIFK.
Everyone knows that one of the components of yoga classes is meditation. And the press tells different stories about where they lead. Someone, for example, meditated, expanded his consciousness, as a result quit his business and went to Goa on the shores of the Indian Ocean to sit under a palm tree. Or his mind became so enlightened that he almost quarreled with his wife – a beautiful ballerina. Indeed, if a European deeply immerses himself in Eastern philosophy, this can give an unexpected result. First of all, because the Eastern mentality and the attitudes of the modern Western world have different directions. The first is focused on immersion in oneself, concentrated contemplation and a long process of spiritual growth. People are going to live several lives – they are in no hurry! The Western world has a completely different system of values, built on Protestant ethics: career growth, focus on results, social success, material benefits – and everything must be obtained in this life.
''A serious passion for spiritual practices can lead far away from real life. Everyday concerns begin to seem mundane to a person, he stops caring about success at work and material goods – it is much more important to know himself. Focusing on one's own feelings occurs, – comments Irina Yakovich, a consulting psychologist at the Institute of Group and Family Psychology and Psychotherapy. – However, in this world we must take care of our families, our children. You can even not take into account the components of success in the modern Western world and the benefits of civilization. But still, in our country the level of needs is different: if in hot countries you do not need to worry about housing – a hut is enough – and about food – bananas grow everywhere – then here it can be cold, and getting food requires a lot of effort. Therefore, if suddenly the head of the family says: ''I withdrew into myself, I don't know when I will return'' – it looks strange. I am not saying that sitting on the ocean shore and meditating is bad. But this is a different reality, and you have to understand what choice you are making.''
However, it would be fine if the “search for oneself” took one away from society, but made at least one person happy. There are worse cases. “Some so-called religious leaders, striving for success, conduct mass classes in group deep meditation without any preparation. In this case, people with a weakened psyche may experience serious exacerbations,” warns Valery Kryazhev, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, instructor of yoga and qigong gymnastics. “However, in regular yoga classes, meditations are performed, which are more correctly called autogenic training or relaxation. For example, “… relax the muscles of the foot, shin …”. Such meditation, of course, will not harm.”
Lesson three: what are the body's reserves?
And yet, we shouldn’t completely erase yoga from our lives. Because with adequate perception, it can become the key to activating the body’s dormant reserves.
''We still don't know much about our internal reserves and the mechanisms for using them. Yes, Eastern and Western psychology (physical culture, lifestyle) are different in many ways. But if Eastern practices allow us to turn to internal reserves, then why not use them? The question is how to avoid extremes. After all, one person is more likely to believe in an exotic method, because ''it looks impressive – therefore, it works'' or ''there is a Teacher and many believe in him'', and another uses only familiar, but perhaps somewhat outdated and not very effective methods …'' – says Olga Tiunova. By the way, the purely Eastern practice of acupuncture, the Chinese themselves say, is very effective for the European type of organism – it reacts almost instantly to unusual (not included in the genetic memory) effects. And anyone who has tried this method in a professional clinic even for normal weight loss will be able to tell a lot about it.
Yoga can have the same effect if you choose the right direction, of which there are many in this practice. ''The way yoga is practiced in India is not very suitable for our people. We have a cold climate, differences in physiology and nutritional traditions, – says Valery Kryazhev. – Nevertheless, yoga with the right approach can be successfully used in our country. For example, there is cold yoga, which involves bathing in ice water. Yoga has many exercises that do not require flexibility and good physical fitness. This type of yoga is recommended for the sick and the elderly. There are complexes used in oncology and AIDS, diabetes and asthma. Scientific research conducted around the world and in our country proves their effectiveness. The main thing in yoga is calming the mind and relieving stress, not ''twisting yourself into a knot.''
Why do people who are into fitness most often turn to yoga? Having tried all the “fast” aerobic and strength training, they look for variety and start trying “slow” ones, such as yoga and Pilates. It only seems that it is easy to take a pose, but when you perform it, you feel a lot of muscle work. Then some get involved and go to specialized yoga centers. There, it is important to get to a professional to avoid the mistakes that await Europeans at the very beginning of the journey.
''The first typical misconception of beginners: to practice yoga, you must necessarily immerse yourself in some deep spirituality, almost accept Hinduism and give up meat, – says Elena Ulmasbaeva. – There are many directions, there are schools that position spiritual yoga. For example, I practice Iyengar yoga, which is focused on working with the body, although I can't say that this is all there is to it. Our teacher always said that people of any faith can practice yoga and that yoga is not a religion, but a science, self-development.''
Another common mistake, according to Elena, is when people believe that if they start doing yoga, all their problems will be solved at once. They start refusing treatment (if they are sick) or, for example, waiting to get married. Yoga often becomes a refuge for people who cannot find themselves in life, who find it difficult to integrate into society. It turns out that if it were not for yoga, they would still find another way to hide from the hardships of life. Another thing is when a person starts working on his body and makes it stronger and more flexible, he may develop new eating habits, his lifestyle will change. Let's say he wanted to quit smoking, began to eat more vegetables and fruits. If a person has learned to relax, this can give him a different outlook on familiar things – new solutions will come.
As is known, yoga consists of eight steps: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi. Europeans most often practice asana (taking poses) and pranayama (breathing exercises), and, in fact, this is quite enough for their type of body. By the way, if you are a beginner and you are being ''loaded'' with philosophy during a lesson, be wary: perhaps you have come across an unqualified trainer.
The instructors do not hide the fact that from time to time they are visited by clients who have suffered injuries from unsuccessful yoga classes – even torn ligaments. ''Insufficiently trained instructors often display fanaticism and do not adhere to the principles of didactics when teaching physical exercises: gradualness, accessibility, – warns Valery Kryazhev. – Which instructors are the most reliable? Those who have professional training as physical education and fitness instructors. Those who have been practicing yoga for many years. Those who represent a serious international organization that has established itself on the positive side over many years.''
Elena Ulmasbaeva reminds that continuity is very important in yoga, so the first thing she asks is: where did the person study? If he answers that from books, it simply does not count. Because yoga is a practice that is passed on from person to person. First of all, there must be a school that has a methodology, there are qualification events, there is supervision of senior teachers over juniors. There is no certification in yoga, because there are too many directions. Some schools (for example, Iyengar yoga) have adopted qualification systems, while others do not.
But what goals, taking into account all of the above, should a European set for himself when coming to classes? Of course, when people are going to do yoga, a dried-up dark man, tightly twisted into a knot, capable of stopping the heart and breathing for a long time, comes before their eyes… So the main thing that a neophyte should understand is not his goal. Moreover, even Russian folklore warns of the danger of such a path. According to one version, Baba Yaga, who has long been a part of Russian mythology, is the result of contact between the Russians and the bearers of one of the Eastern practices. Irina Yakovich mentions a study that says that “Baba Yaga” is translated from Sanskrit as “great yogi”, and a stupa is a place for meditation…
Elena Ulmasbaeva gives a simple recipe: yoga should make life quality, bring muscular joy and give the opportunity to feel like a harmonious being. If this is not the case, then something has gone wrong.
