07/12/2026
I often advise my students not to pay attention to advanced poses and to never make them the goal of their practice. I’ve never made it a goal because as an artist, a part of me think the process is always the best part.
And to be honest, I’m probably also projecting. My body has been so tight, inflexible (and now dealing with cervical and lumbar disc degeneration) that even after 30 years, I still feel like I’ll never get there.
So I just keep practicing. My favorite way to practice is sloooowly and gently.
And yet, at 56, I’m stronger than I’ve ever been! Why? Erich Shiffmann, my favorite yoga teacher, said “Keep it simple, but do it a lot.” My personal practice focuses on the therapeutic side of asana, targeting smaller muscle groups to support my spine.
The other day, a young teacher I was talking to about challenging poses mentioned this pose, 8 angle pose. I told her I’ve never tried it because I had no desire to and most likely couldn’t do it since I only practice gentle yoga…but then I thought, “hmmm…but then again, why not try it for funzies?” 😂
So I asked her to teach me.
And this is what happened.
It didn’t feel easy but I was VERY surprised, delightfully so! It was nice to see how a consistent practice can result in doing things we never expected to do. I allowed myself to feel proud and empowered, while also recognizing that part of myself that warns against ego gratification or performative actions. It’s okay to have both!
And this. This is why we practice. Self examination leads to self realization, eventually. Yoga gives us the opportunity to do this in various ways if we’re open to seeing it.
So yeah, I did this pose. It was hard but also fun. And I most likely will not make it part of my regular practice but I’m glad I tried it. 😉
If this resonates with you, please share in the comments! I’d love to hear your story. 🙏🏼
