This video consists of three photos of Heinz Grill performing the classical yoga pose salabhasana. Rising up from a prone position into a high backward bending arc, the body seems to defy gravity.
Certainly a great deal of strength and also flexibility in the back are needed for this pose. In the preparatory exercise you see a very strong dynamic towards the upright leg. In the second picture the two legs move upwards against the gravity and in the final pose Heinz Grill shows a very intense dynamic from the thoracic spine all the way to the ankles.
The secret to the performance of this highly advanced asana, however, lies not only in physical agility or training, but also in the approach the consciousness takes towards the body. In the first picture the calm relaxed face and forehead is noticeable in spite of the very strong dynamic in both legs. The consciousness is calmly observing and guiding the movements taking place in the lower body.
In the second picture, a more intense concentration can be seen and the body is lifted right up against gravity. The extraordinary exertion of this movement requires an independence in relation to the body and its weight. The attention must not be fixed on the body, on the heaviness and resistance that needs to be overcome, but rather on the picture of the ideal end position with the legs high in the air, beyond the head.
The final very extreme backward bend demands extreme flexibility in all sections of the spine and an even greater step of independence from the body. The consciousness must no longer identify with the body, but rather must view it as an instrument with which aesthetic forms can be created.
Advanced poses such as Salabhasana can provide an opportunity not just to train the body, but to develop a high level of mental concentration and beyond this an ability to work creatively with the body, using it to shape beautiful and astonishing forms.