This body and this self-identity promised or signified by modernist yoga styles is exactly what the post-modern self craves.” Modernist yoga forms explicitly contribute to such build up of self-identity. Accordingly these two forms of postural yoga have prospered enormously in recent years as our narcissistic body culture of health and fitness has gained momentum since the 1980s. According to the sociologist M. Featherstone the body has become a vehicle for representation:
‘The body is presented as the central vehicle to the consumer culture good life: the source of pleasurable sensations, which must be ‘looked after’ (maintained, repaired and improved). Yet the body is also understood in terms of its images, as the visible indicator of the self, hence the attention given to ‘the look’ (presentation, grooming, style). Celebrities, the new rich and middle class are presented as enjoying access to a whole array of personal body services.
Purpose: To strengthen the upper back and neck extensors and Cat Pose Yoga reinforce the natural arch of the neck with an isometric action. Contraindications: Cervical vertebral instability Cat Pose Yoga , including spondylolisthesis, Chiari malformations. Prop: A chair. Avoiding pitfalls: Keep all sides of your neck long. Work diligently; do not overwork. INSTRUCTIONS Sit in a chair and adjust your thighs back and apart, as in Pressure Cooker see 73. This will help you to sit tall. Interlace your fingers behind your head.
