My first yoga class was a mindblowing experience that yet has left me confused. Whenever the teacher announced an āsana the students leaped into purposeful action. They seemed to know exactly what to do. I felt so lost and uncertain.
As clueless as I was, I understood that learning the positions was important for my ability to participate in classes. I asked around and everyone told me to check out “Light On Yoga”.
Not only did the poses in the book seem beyond the capabilities of a disabled person like myself, the black and white pictures and dense layout made it hard for me to tackle. I created some sort of cheatsheet - colorful cards with information to help me memorize the positions.
Later, inspired to consider teaching yoga, I flew to India with the aim of deepening my understanding of the āsana-s. After each class, the students sat in the chai shop discussing the lesson. Together we drew sketches and made notes. The class unfolded before us as a definite structure: it always had a clear theme with each step of the sequence laying the foundations for the poses to follow.
With such a visual representation it became easier to grasp the ingenuity of the sequencing. I could return once again to “Light On Yoga” with a greater practical understanding and appreciation of the knowledge it imparts. My hope is that the Yoga Cards will help the learning of others, students and teachers alike.v.
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