What it is

Autonomous Muscle Tension (AMT) — Tensión Muscular Autónoma — is about building effective, conscious strength. It means generating tension and support from your own musculature, without depending on grips or external supports. It is the foundation of Yoga Without Crutches: the limit is set by your body, not by a strap, a wall, or your hands.

How to practise

Engage the core before you move. Many sequences begin from Savasana precisely to force that activation from the very start.
Hold the posture with the working muscles — don’t “hang” off the joints or a support.
Aim for a solidly strong body, able to hold any posture with balance and without rigidity.

Why it matters

Internal strength protects against injury, because the limit is set by the body itself. A muscle that holds is a muscle that protects the joint beneath it.

Building it in phases

The strength is built progressively, never forced. Navasana Namaskar, for example, grows out of Savasana Namaskar — a fluid sequence that moves from the simple to the complex: a gentle flexion of the shoulders and neck, then a deeper flexion of the trunk with the knees bent and feet resting, then lifting the feet to fire the core, until the final posture is held with the legs extended and raised. Each stage uses internal strength alone, with no external support.

The Navasana Namaskar progression demonstrating Autonomous Muscle Tension — building the boat pose from Savasana with internal strength alone — Navasana Namaskar, built from Savasana with internal strength (My Yoga Process, figs. 15–20).

Closely related is isometry — holding a posture statically. Holding still strengthens the arms and shoulders while letting the neck and cervical spine relax, which makes it especially valuable for anyone protecting a vulnerable neck.

Common mistakes

Relying on props or grips to “get into” the posture.
Confusing tension with rigidity — AMT is conscious support, not locking up.
Letting the core go the moment the posture “holds itself.”