I have to admit to a little bit of dismay when -- perusing yoga literature, magazines and Web sites -- I come across a photograph of some yogi performing a forward fold in which it appears as though their body has a hinge built into the waist.
Here's an example of the kind of photo I'm talking about. It looks unnatural such a perfect forward fold, legs and back straight as arrows.
It goes without saying that my early experimentations with this yoga pose leave much to be desired.
It seems I can only get my head somewhere between half and three-quarters of the way to my feet. And that is only possible by rounding my back quite a bit.
No other pose has (yet) given me as much discouragement as those deceptively-simple looking forward folds.
Then I was blessed to see one of Tara Stiles' podcasts, in which she performs a forward fold. And lo and behold! While her head is properly in the vicinity of her feet, her back is also rounded. (PS- I also found this photo which makes me feel better too!)
And so I am reminded that these yogis really are human after all and not gifted with trick hinged waists.
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