i'm writing you from the amrita studio, as the owner and head teacher. i agree with you that contracting your pecs will make your chest feel caved in. i'm confident that my teaching staff does not suggest engaging the pecs in this way; though i am also confident that they are on the look-out for students with hyper-mobile joints finding stability in their joints so as to stretch the main body of the muscles, as opposed to the joint capsules.
shoulder stability is a balance of strength and flexibility. we want the pecs and deltoids to be supple and strong, we don't want to over work the rhomboids without balancing them with the serratus anterior. sometimes when students "melt their hearts" their physical structure loses integrity, especially in the shoulder joint.
in terms of fighting over what is right, i, too, find that to be a shame. historically, debating was part of the yoga tradition - people debated the true nature of the universe, for example. however, they did it in person, not via e-mail, nor anonymously.
the sorrow for me is that this student wasn't able to be in dialogue with the teacher in a more curious way. both the teacher and the student, and the other students, miss out when open, explorative dialogue doesn't occur.
one final thing to consider, while anatomy and kinesiology aren't really debatable (the biceps do what they do, the infranspinatus does it's job, etc), how each person's unique form fits into yoga is an art and an investigation. and ultimately that's what my teachers and i are committed to.
you can reach me at sarahjoy@yogajoy.net if you wish to.
anusara shoulders and pecs
i'm writing you from the amrita studio, as the owner and head teacher. i agree with you that contracting your pecs will make your chest feel caved in. i'm confident that my teaching staff does not suggest engaging the pecs in this way; though i am also confident that they are on the look-out for students with hyper-mobile joints finding stability in their joints so as to stretch the main body of the muscles, as opposed to the joint capsules.
shoulder stability is a balance of strength and flexibility. we want the pecs and deltoids to be supple and strong, we don't want to over work the rhomboids without balancing them with the serratus anterior. sometimes when students "melt their hearts" their physical structure loses integrity, especially in the shoulder joint.
in terms of fighting over what is right, i, too, find that to be a shame. historically, debating was part of the yoga tradition - people debated the true nature of the universe, for example. however, they did it in person, not via e-mail, nor anonymously.
the sorrow for me is that this student wasn't able to be in dialogue with the teacher in a more curious way. both the teacher and the student, and the other students, miss out when open, explorative dialogue doesn't occur.
one final thing to consider, while anatomy and kinesiology aren't really debatable (the biceps do what they do, the infranspinatus does it's job, etc), how each person's unique form fits into yoga is an art and an investigation. and ultimately that's what my teachers and i are committed to.
you can reach me at sarahjoy@yogajoy.net if you wish to.
Namaste,
Sarahjoy