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union you must surrender. Then you can achieve samadhi, that deeper consciousness in which you become identified with the object of your concentration. You need to go beyond the individual mind and join the ocean of consciousness.

I know that sounds like a lofty ambition — most people come to class to improve their figures. But as they practice they gradually and automatically start changing their ideas. They start thinking more about the spirit. Automatically it begins to have another effect, something that’s learned less from thought than through experience.

Students often ask me how they can go deeper into a posture. In a way they are asking the wrong question. Form, breath, and focus are much more important than range of motion. As long as you’re aligned and breathing, don’t worry about how far you can go.

That said, you must learn to relax in the pose in order to master it. The first few times you cross your legs in Lotus Pose, say, it’s extremely painful. After a few weeks of practice, you’ll be able to spend some minutes in it. Eventually you will feel comfortable.

As I mentioned before, there are eight basic poses that will give you everything you need for good physical health — they can all be made more challenging depending on your

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