Asana Column: Vamadevasana II (Pose Dedicated to the Sage Vamadeva II)

Experience a joyful lift and expansion in this challenging twist.

By Aadil Palkhivala

Duality exists so we can understand unity; without duality, oneness would have no meaning. As in the universe, so in our bodies. Our work in yoga is to understand the dualities inside us and bring them together to create a harmonious, integrated whole.

In the performance of asana, we create unity only by first creating duality. It is only when we have two movements each opposing the other that we can create a synergistic third that unites the two in a whole far greater than the sum of its parts. Like a rubber band, a muscle does not stretch when we push both its ends in the same direction, but it does when we pull them away from each other. Similarly, when the two ends of the body (the head and the tailbone) move in the same direction, there isn't a stretch but rather a collapse. When they move in opposite directions, however, we experience a sense of lifting and expanding.

In sitting postures, for example, the intentional rooting of the sitting bones is what allows the recoil of the energy of the perineum upward. In standing poses, the pressing of the mounds of the toes and the heels into the earth is what allows the upward recoil of the arches and the inner legs. In inversions, when we lift without simultaneously descending earthward, we become either light-headed or wobbly, especially in Sirsasana (Headstand). And in Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand), if we try to lift the spine without simultaneously dropping the shoulders, we become very tense, the neck and throat become hard, and we forgo the benefits to the nervous system the pose can offer.

In any of these poses, trying to lift without the opposing action of grounding gives us little effect; indeed, it may drain our energy reserves. To receive the effects of the pose, we must consciously move in opposite ways simultaneously. And to accomplish this, we must bring our consciousness fully into the present, creating mindfulness.

Indeed, the duality of action is precisely what helps us achieve such a singular state of mind: To rise to the challenge of doing two opposing things at once, we are forced to be focused and unified--yet creative, perhaps moving in ways we have never moved in before. As we work in an asana, we may think, "If I do this, I cannot do that simultaneously." Yet that is precisely what yoga asks of us. We need to both open ourselves and draw ourselves together to create the music of asana. This work is similar to Zen koan meditation, in which students seek to awaken by focusing on seemingly irreconcilable paradoxes ("What is the sound of one hand clapping?").

Harnessing Duality

In Vamadevasana II (Pose Dedicated to the Sage Vamadeva II), this inner process of harnessing duality to achieve unity clearly manifests itself. We use one side of the body to pull the pelvis forward and the other side to pull it back in this pose, challenging ourselves to find the still center where we tip in neither direction, where the duality is perfectly balanced.

Duality takes on another guise in the practice of asana. Just as a bird must alternately open and close its wings to stay aloft, we must learn to both expand and contract our energy to stay balanced in any posture. Like the bird spreading its wings, we open our bodies out so we can feel the expansion that is the energy of asana. And like the bird gathering in its wings, we must then pull our awareness into our core so we can feel the stability and centeredness of the posture.

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