Yoga Conditioning Workshop
‘Ease with tension’ might sound strange, confusing or even contradictory at first glance. I don’t blame you if you raised your eyebrows while reading the title.
In everyday language, we often use ‘tension’ to describe a strained state, physical or mental, or a disagreement between parties. Yet, the English word comes from the Latin tendere, which means ‘stretch’. One of the definitions of ‘tension’ is either of two balancing forces causing or tending to cause extension.
This extension, created by tension, is what we will explore more deeply in the workshop.
In the yoga practice, all poses (asanas) are whole-body (and mind, I might add) movements. As much as many poses get a label, such as ‘hip opening’ pose or a ‘back strengthening’ pose, we can’t create the ‘opening’ effect without some form of opposing force. There is no lifting without grounding, no extension without flexion and no strengthening without relaxation. Aligning with the monthly focus of November, the exercises we will do in the workshop centre around relaxation.