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© copyright Michael Autrey 2010
"The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj meaning to bind, join, attach and yoke, to direct and concentrate one's attention on, to use and apply....Yoga is one of the six orthodox systems of Indian philosophy." When we speak of Yoga we almost always speak of hatha yoga. "[H]atha=force, or determined effort." We apply 'determined effort' while attempting asanas, or postures. In hatha yoga the body is put in strenuous positions to facilitate the study of the mind. Hatha yoga has been defined as "meditation in action."*
So how does the practice of yoga benefit tango? Tango has many styles. Distinctions between styles are apparent from the type of embrace. The embrace creates the connection, and the connection is the foundation of the dance. Which is to say tango, no matter what style, depends upon a comfortable embrace.
These attributes that make your embrace comfortable are strength, proprioception, concentration and an open heart. Many forms of exercise develop these attributes. I would argue that only yoga develops them all simultaneously. Whether one is a complete beginner or an advanced dancer with years of experience at crowded milongas, the embrace is the aspect of the dance worth mastering. Everything that makes the dance arises from it; yoga is an ancient, well-lit path to improving it.
*Light on Yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar, revised paperback edition, Schocken Books, New York 1979, pgs 19-22.
About the Author
A freelance writer, Michael Autrey has practiced the Iynegar style of hatha yoga for twelve years. He dances and djs in Portland Oregon. His first book, From The Genre of Silence, appeared in August of 2008. He can be contacted at