It’s a tent.
I found out this fun fact when I worked for the fire service. It was years ago, while I was working up the courage to open my own studio. I answered 000 calls. Soul destroying.
The big problem for me was no closure. The job was to speak with people having the most tragic day of their life and then speak to the next and the next. For 14 hour shifts, keep speaking to more and more people. We never knew how it ended. Did they survive? Did they get out? Can they function? Are they happy?
Back to the tent. The fire service calls tents flexible habitats. They use them to deploy to crisis areas for the crews to create, well, a habitat in. Once I stopped laughing I realised yoga does the same thing.
It uses names to not only describe how things look but how things feel and their purpose. Quite a lot to fit into a name.
Vrksasana. Tree pose. You look like a tree. You want to feel grounded through the feet while remaining fluid and responsive to the elements.
Setubandhasana. Bridge pose. You look like a bridge with the hips elevated and the feet grounded. You’re light enough to take flight but stable enough to withstand resistance.
Trikonasana. Triangle pose. You can create at least four visual triangles in the body. Embody the principles of a triangle, the strongest shape in nature. Allow your weight to disperse evenly throughout the sides, the perfect blend of rigidity and flexibility.
Pashimottanasana. Seated forward bend. East meets west. Your back body experiences a deep stretch as it gradually meets your front body. The blending of two cultures. Nothing to do with the hamstrings.
Surya Namaskar. Sun salute. Gratitude in motion. For the spiritual aspects of the practice. For what makes it different to pumping out reps at the gym.
Savasana. Corpse pose. The body doesn’t move. It fades into the background. Depending on your belief system, the mind, the soul, the untouchable bits connect to something else, if only for a few moments.
Study a tree, a bridge, a triangle. Stare at the sun and get familiar with death. It will deepen your understanding of yoga postures and the sheer intelligence behind the naming system.
Sanskrit is the language of yoga and one of the oldest. It’s seeped in vibration. You can feel yourself saying it, not just hear it. It’s a 3D language designed to ignite the senses.
Back to the flexible habitat. I don’t know that they will ignite the senses but you’ll certainly know exactly what you’re going to be sleeping in.