indirect achievements

in yogic mat work, the heart of any given pose strike and the best way to unpack the genius of the subtle technology on offer lies in doing the apparent opposite of the outer aim. an important example of this is spinal elongation. the only way to achieve this is by constantly bringing vigilance to the scapulae. the shoulder blades want to rise up, especially in concert with the arms. the scaps are best drawn back down and in towards the spine throughout one's practice. by virtue of the kinesthetic circuit that goes down to go up, this permits the spinal bodies a vertical purchase and decongests the paraspinals; it also brings the breastplate out of its tendency to sink and trap the lungs in shallow breathing, and stretches the fascia along the collarbone in an area where we tend to constrict the upper lung tips.