Poetics of Asana

the poetics of
asana
embodying metaphorical language
in a hatha yoga practice
by tias little
with photographs by daniel séguin
I
n the Sanskrit language speech has tremendous
power, for it is through speech that the spiritual
aspirant can invoke the great and mysterious force
that sustains all life. Speech is intimately associated
with prana, the life breath of the body. By refining
the breath, one can clarify speech, and by refining
speech, one can clarify prana.
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The ancient rishis, the mystical seers of the yoga creative process, and when I teach classes I draw from
tradition, held speech in the highest esteem. Speech a palette of analogies, metaphors, similes and stories.
was thought to be sacred, imbued with a curious As a student of literature, I was inspired by the voices
power to awaken and animate the most profound of James Joyce, Fyodor Dostoevsky, T. S. Elliot and
and subtle life force hidden within. The mystical John Ashbery. Influenced by these and other poets
seers chanted cryptic hymns of devotional offerings and writers, I have been impelled to weave figurative
to the deities of fire, water, earth and sky. The rishis’ and colourful language into my asana teaching.
vocal chanting was similar to pranayama training in One of my intentions as a yoga teacher is to
that their breath and vocal intonations, along with inspire, and I find that metaphorical language can
the rhythm and meter of the Sanskrit verses, acti- elevate the practitioner. The word metaphor is from
vated their prana. The mantras they chanted, as they the Greek meta, meaning beyond, and pherein, mean-
called in the spirit that pervades all life, had the res- ing to carry. Metaphors, like opening the eyes of the
onance of lyrical poetry. heart, carry or transport the listener from one mean-
The poetic power of Sanskrit and the potency of ing to another. They guide the listener from a singu-
the language used by the ancients to articulate the lar meaning to, potentially, a plurality of meanings.
yogic experience have inspired me to teach with a Like yoga asanas, metaphors are meant to loosen.
metaphorical imagination. Speech, like writing, is a I use inspirational language to help students

She was a collection of all things that are natural
Similes of beauty, each one in its right place
— Kalidasa
get out of themselves, to loosen restrictions and energy. In the Kumarasambhava he renders Siva’s
cut through the cobwebs of sticky thoughts. For consort Uma as both delicate and sublime:
instance, when I teach meditation, I describe a rising
cumulus cloud to encourage students to elevate and Whenever she began to speak, the tones
broaden their chest in order to circulate more air Would flow as sweet as amrta in her voice
through their lungs. The image of the heat and bil- So that, on hearing her, even the song of the kokila
lowy vapour rising inside a midsummer’s cloud pro- Seemed harsh as a veena being played out of tune.
vides a palpable sense of expanding lungs.
She was a collection of all things that are natural
I n the yoga tradition, there is an abundance of

naturalistic metaphors to illustrate the body. The
esoteric yogic anatomy of the body includes rivers
Similes of beauty, each one in its right place,
Fashioned by the universal creator with his full energy,
As if eager to see all beauty in a single form.
of pulsing fluid (nadis), bands of shimmering light
(susumna) and potentially blooming floral buds Kalidasa’s musical images and rhythmic flow
(cakras). The ancient yogis perceived in the subtle recall the resonant chanting of the ancient seers.
human body a richness and effulgence evident in Both are meant to invoke a feeling of immense awe,
the natural world. By evoking naturalistic metaphor respect, admiration and joy.
today, the student of yoga awakens and animates the Like the ancient poets, yoga teachers can tap
full energy dormant within. their own inspiration and channel inspired speech
Poetic language that evokes beauty and elevates into their students. Metaphorical language inspires
awareness can increase one’s capacity for sensitivity the listener, and it is through inspiration that the
and gratitude. In the practice of asana and medita- transformational effects of a yoga practice can be
tion, language helps attune the practitioner to move- realized. If the metaphor is working well, the stu-
ments within the body and build greater awareness. dent absorbs the teachings through every skin fibre,
Imagery that evokes great feeling generates bhava, a cell and synapse.
profound state of affinity, soulfulness, devotion and When I’m teaching yoga, I find that poetic lan-
heartfelt connection. guage inspires the imagination and gives students a
The great Sanskrit poet Kalidasa wrote verses visceral sense of the pulse of movement within. I use
that celebrate the sometimes terrible beauty of divine language to invite students to deep-rooted realms

Wash yourself of yourself.
A white f lower grows in the quietness,
Let your tongue become that f lower.
— Rumi
that were previously unavailable to the touch of outer to inner, from gross to subtle, from the recog-
breath and sensation. For example, in the Corpse nizable to the unknown. In yoga asana training, a
pose, Savasana, one of the primary aims is to create a mature student has developed the capacity for keen
feeling of dissolution by allowing the brain to release perception and is able to observe the most delicate
and the mind to still. edge of movement within. The more refined and rar-
I guide students to set the head with care, so that efied the movement, the closer one is to god.
it is not tipping side to side or rocking backward. As a teacher, however, I find that the subtler and
The weight should be on the centre of the back skull more rarefied the movement I wish to express, the
and the ears should be perfectly level. I suggest that more difficult the movement is to explain. How can
students visualize the centrepoint of the skull in one explain and direct a movement that is right at the
order to align the cranium with the spine. This edge of perception, approaching the imperceptible?
centrepoint is like a mystical eye, what I think of How could one ever put into language the experi-
as the fourth eye (given that the third eye is in the ence of total communion with the vast, unlimited
centre of the brow). force that pervades all things?
The brain is the most difficult organ to adjust in The ultimate state of yoga to be yoked, without
the body. It is easier to shift a kidney, elongate the interference, is a state that is beyond words. The lan-
spleen or rotate the liver. When adjusting the brain, guage of yoga attempts to express the inexpressible.
one is approaching that threshold between the known Inspired language, like poetry, comes closest to put-
and pure mystery. In Savasana, I encourage the back ting into words that which is unspeakable.
of the skull to release downward and broaden, as if
a raw egg has broken onto the floor. For students to
experience greater relaxation, I gently urge them to
imagine their brain moving into itself, like the flesh
I n yoga classes, I invite students to experience the
unseen, the mystical, by tapping the sensory recep-
tors in the body’s muscles, joints and tendons. When
of an overripe fruit pulling away from the rind. I give directions, I use language that punctuates the
The Sufi poet Rumi describes a similar release in asana forms, and provides students with tangible
the body’s interior: anatomical details. I do this by safely coaxing them
to the edge of the familiar in their bodies, breath
There’s no need to go outside and mind.
Be melting snow The aim of yoga is to stay highly flexible and
Wash yourself of yourself. highly adaptable in one’s awareness. In order to
A white flower grows in the quietness, awaken and enliven, metaphorical language invites
Let your tongue become that flower. students to feel into difference. Whether work-
ing with chronic compression in the shoulder, the
The sublime delicacy of this Rumi image suggests repetitive strain pattern buried in a hamstring, or
a subtlety that is key to the yogic experience. The the habitual tendencies of an obsessive mind, the
many paths of yoga take the assiduous student from purpose of practice is to break the bonds of recur-

ring cycles. Physical restriction becomes entrenched The poet’s intention is to help his listener
in the body, resulting in routine identifications that navigate inward, inviting the listener to tap the
inevitably harden into character. depths of imagination and bhava inside. Like the
I teach this flexibility by guiding students to hymns of the seers, the poet, through the play of
the threshold of the known, the familiar and the descriptive language, points away from himself by
routine. This is where the real transformation takes avoiding fixed identification and literal meaning. I
place. If the student can stay pliable in both mind share this same intention as I develop the craft of
and body, then he or she will avoid getting stuck in teaching yoga, and my aim is not to elevate “the fun-
what is simply familiar. The use of metaphor sup- damental I” but to invite my listeners, my students,
ports this loosening of identity structure by helping into the “deep you.” C
to point the listener beyond any finite, limited sense
of self. The Spanish literary figure Antonio Machado Tias Little brings to his teaching a wonderful play of metaphor and
describes it this way: imagination. He combines the precision of Iyengar Yoga, the grace of
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and the compassionate wisdom of the Bud-
dhist tradition. He currently directs Prajna Yoga in Santa Fe, New
Mexico (www.prajnayoga.net).
What the poet is looking for
Some clothing in the photographs provided by Charlie Sattva Yoga-à-
Is not the fundamental I Porter, Montréal (www.charliesattva.com). Special thanks to Studio
But the deep you. Breathe (www.studiobreathe.com) for the use of their space.

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the poetics of

18 ascent magazine 37 spring 2008

20 ascent magazine 37 spring 2008

I n the yoga tradition, there is an abundance of

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