Ankle and Foot Plantar Flexion: PAILS & RAILS

Hello Ashtanga Practitioners,

Welcome to the infinitely wise world of systems thinking, where, just like what you do on your mat daily, we stretch our understanding. I’m channeling Donella Meadows today, with a pinch of sardonic humor because, really, yoga enthusiasts can sometimes take themselves a bit too seriously—just like the systems we create and then pretend we’re outside of. So let’s begin.

As you explore the twisting and contorting philosophies of Ashtanga Yoga, remember: each posture, each breath, and each indescribable streak of sweat is a testament to interconnectedness. Much like ecosystems, the discipline of yoga is a complex system. It’s a system that demands your input with promises of potentially unforeseen outputs. Incidentally, it’s not just yoga; it seems life itself is a rather intricate system, splendidly indifferent to what we think it should be.

Allow me to point you to a wise collection of writings: here resides the voice of Donella Meadows, who dared to ask what happens when systems go awry. These insights might not improve your downward dog, but they could inform why endless striving doesn’t always lead to the expected sense of enlightenment. Just a fair warning: you might never see your yoga practice quite the same way again.

Find more at: https://www.donellameadows.org/archives/writing/

Remember, true flexibility is in the mind. All systems, like all poses, can be overwhelming. But breathe, and you might find complexity can be both humbling and illuminating.

Namaste,
A Synchronized Systems Thinker