The Asana Approach Technique (AAT)

What it is

Yoga is not about reaching a final shape — it is about exploring the path towards it. The Asana Approach Technique (AAT) — Técnica de Aproximación de Asanas — means dividing a classical posture into progressive phases, each one complete and valid in itself.

Being in the first phase is already practising yoga fully. The AAT removes the pressure to “achieve” the pose and replaces it with attention to the step you are actually taking.

How to practise

1. Identify the final posture and its intermediate phases.
2. Begin with the most accessible phase and inhabit it fully — breath, alignment, stability.
3. Move to the next phase only when the body is ready, building on solid foundations.

Example: Navasana

Navasana is a paradigmatic example of how the Asana Approach Technique transforms a demanding posture into an accessible sequence. From the starting position in Dandasana, you progress through intermediate variations with the knees bent and the feet resting on the floor, until you gradually reach the final version, where the legs are extended and the arms remain parallel to the floor. What matters is not the final shape, but the strength, stability and awareness that are built step by step.

Creating and rotating the base

Before moving into a posture, it is essential to establish a stable base. In a standing posture, your feet are that base; in an arm balance, it is your hands. As you progress through the phases, the base can change or rotate — and each new configuration must be stabilised before you move to the next. When Utthita Parsvakonasana is broken down, for instance, five distinct bases can be identified, each stabilised in turn as the difficulty increases. This rotation of the base is part of the Asana Approach Technique.

Common mistakes

• Jumping to the final shape before the earlier phases are consolidated.
• Treating the intermediate phases as “not yet” instead of a complete practice.
• Moving to the next phase before the current base is stable.