COMPOSED BY CODY SCHMIDT:

As I do reading on different postures and practices within yoga, I frequently see postures or classes that are labeled with different levels. While on some level I think this has value, I believe the perception of what creates an Advanced Yoga student versus a beginner is skewed. I do not believe that putting yourself in a pretzel posture is what makes you an Advanced Yogi.

I have worked with people that I can get into "advanced" postures very easily and quickly but that doesn't mean they are experiencing the benefit of that posture in a way that is better than someone who can't access the mobility of the "advanced" expression of the posture.

So what are the differences between the levels of a yoga student?

A Beginner Student:

• is New to Yoga
• is Unfamiliar with the cuing
• is Learning to connect with their body
• has Difficulty finding breath in different postures
• Doesn't Know the limits of their body

An Intermediate Student:

• Understands general sequencing of a class
• Recognizes when they need to modify for their body
• Understands how to manipulate the body in different postures from cueing
• Can return to the breath regularly throughout a practice

An Advanced Student:

• Stays connected to their breath throughout a practice
• can Easily Modify posture to work within their limit in each moment
• Listens to their body knowing when it's appropriate to access deeper variations
• Understands different progressions of postures

When we begin to look at the different levels of a student in this way we can see that it is awareness that makes for an advanced yoga student. So maybe you can't touch your toes in a forward fold, but you can approach it like an advanced yogi because you have built the awareness to see what is happening within the body. Now, if you are practicing like an advanced yogi and can't touch your toes, I can almost guarantee that you will achieve that very quickly, likely even by the end of a practice session.

From another vantage point, you can see that some days you are a beginner and other days you are advanced. In my own practice, there are days where I feel disconnected from my body, disconnected from my breath, my mind is all over the place, and other days where there is nothing happening but flow of energy in different expressions of postures. And I'm pretty convinced that that's okay and that it's all part of the experience we are meant to have.

Essentially, we need to give ourselves grace to meet our body where we are through each season, month, week, day, moment. While we should strive to be better, we can't become obsessed with getting a specific result.

Accept the journey and over time, you will advance in your practice if that is your goal. If we make changes aggressively, most often, it won't stick. Our body, mind, and spirit need time to adjust and integrate. Strive to do the best you can each day. Give yourself grace in between.

Surround yourself with people who are loving, kind compassionate, tolerant. Join me on the journey. 

Om Shanthi,
Cody