Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Asanas

Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was written in 1974. It presents a partially fictionalized auto-biography that examines how people seek or ignore quality in their lives and how they deal with fear, love and other emotions. Most of the narrative is interwoven with an extended motorcycle trip the author took with his son. It is a meditation on how to live better.

ZEN: a state of calm attentiveness in which one’s actions are guided by intuition rather than by conscious effort typically achieved through the study of Buddhism.

ASANA: a Sanskrit word for a body posture, that describes sitting or standing postures as well as flowing and balancing poses. Whatever shape these poses and motions take, they must be steady and comfortable and incorporate conscious breathing to aid in moving or sitting or standing still in ‘tree pose’.

The concepts of Zen and Asanas come from two different eastern philosophies or practices but can be used to achieve some measures of peace, relaxation or mindfulness no matter what you might be doing or what your intentions might be.

The idea incorporating meditative practices while moving at speed on a motorcycle came to me many years after completing a yoga teacher certification program with the very spiritual Fierce Goddess Warrior, Ms. Tanya Lee of ‘Body Art Motion’, reading John Pirsig’s book and getting my motorcycle license. I am convinced that my deepened and active yoga practice helped me recover from some life challenges but also prepare me for the challenges that came after. I am convinced that yoga, riding and the motorcycle vapors it produces helped me live through toxic traditional cancer treatment and that it might actually help me live better and longer by using more healing therapies.

T.K.V. Desikachar devoted his life to studying and teaching the Yoga that his father, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, brought forth from the ‘Great Tradition’ of yogic practice. Desikachar was an engineer by trade who later devoted his life to advancing the practice of yoga through understanding the Western mind and was able to interpret wisdom culture with clarity and precision.

I’m pretty sure that Desikachar or his dad, Krishnamacharya ever rode a motorcycle let alone came up with a ‘method’ of practicing yoga postures while riding. Anyone that rides for any length of time under any kind of conditions knows that it is an extremely active activity requiring attentiveness, alertness and some measure of physicality.

While many of the postures or Asanas incorporated in any yoga practices cannot be fully adopted to motorcycle riding, aspects or the intention of them can be used to enhance the enjoyment of motorcycle travel while riding or settling and coming down after riding.

Sarvangasana, or ‘shoulder stand’ would be very difficult. Ardha Matsyendrasana or ‘half spinal twist’ would be impossible. All Asanas could happen individually or simultaneously during and after an accident ending in Shavasana or ‘Corpse Pose’ – the final resting and recovery pose.

Namaste.

The intention of incorporating Asanas into ‘the ride’ involves knowing how to modify the posture for comfort and effect, to at least do no hurt while breathing into the modification – to find the edge and hold and breathe in and out of it.

Yoga is a spiritual and physical exercise that can build stamina and flexibility and promote a sense of peace and purpose.

Motorcycle riding can do the same.

Doing both at the same time just might extend your peaceful and healthy life.

Namaste means ‘I bow to you’ or ‘I honor you’. It can be expressed as a secular or religious salutation.

Whatever serves.

I appreciate you.

Vroom Vroom.

Namaste!