Fitness

Confession: I have an aversion to arm balances. Aversion (dvesha) according to the sutras, is just another flavor of attachment and one of the ways we create suffering in our lives. While I don’t think it’s necessary to practice headstand or handstand to be a “real” yogi, I do believe that real yoga means practicing equanimity. Confronting our aversions may reveal lessons about acquiring balance in our lives—but we have to start by greeting the challenge.
To approach arm balances, the first thing I needed to change, obviously, was my attitude.