For a long time, I thought yoga was all about the “flow.” I loved moving quickly from one shape to the next, feeling the sweat and the rhythm. But honestly? I was also using that movement to hide. Whenever I hit a difficult asana—one that made my muscles shake or my mind start racing—I’d just transition out of it as fast as possible.
I was “doing” the poses, but I wasn’t really staying in them. Eventually, I realized my progress had stalled. I was flexible enough to get into the basic shapes, but I didn’t feel strong, and I wasn’t getting any deeper. So, I decided to try something different: I started holding the poses.
The Wall I Hit: Prasarita Padottanasana
If you’ve ever practiced the Ashtanga Primary Series, you know the Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-Legged Forward Fold) sequence. It looks simple enough—four variations (A, B, C, and D) where you fold forward with your legs wide.
I could do the “basic” version of these folds. I could get my hands to the floor and look like I was in the pose. But going deeper—actually getting the crown of my head toward the mat and lengthening my spine—felt impossible. My hamstrings felt like tight guitar strings, and I usually just rushed through the five breaths to get it over with.
The Initial Struggle: Learning to Stay
The first time I forced myself to really stay for the full count (and sometimes longer), it was a battle. In Variation C, where your hands are interlaced behind your back, my shoulders felt tight and my brain was screaming for me to just stand up.
But by refusing to move, I noticed something: the first few breaths are just the “surface” layer. It’s only after breath five or six that the body actually starts to trust the pose. The benefit wasn’t just physical; it was mental. I had to learn to breathe through the urge to quit. That discipline of staying still was my first real “click” moment.
How it Improved Everything Else
The biggest surprise wasn’t just getting deeper into the fold itself. By holding Prasarita Padottanasana, I found that my body was learning things that carried over into the rest of my day:
- Better Sitting Posture: Because those long holds finally opened up my hips and strengthened my lower back, I noticed I could sit on the floor or at my desk for much longer without that familiar ache. My “base” felt more solid.
- Stability in Other Poses: The strength I built in my legs by holding those wide stances made my standing balances feel twice as steady. I wasn’t just flexible anymore; I was grounded.
- The “Release”: One day, my head actually touched the mat. It wasn’t because I pushed; it was because I had spent enough time in the pose for my nervous system to finally let go.
The Takeaway
If you’re feeling stuck, try staying still. When you want to jump to the next move, take three more deep breaths instead. It’s not always comfortable, and it’s definitely not “fast,” but that stillness is where the real growth happens. You might find that the pose you’ve been rushing through is actually the key to unlocking everything else.
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