Engaged rather than Tensed

One of the many approaches seen on practitioners is being tensed rather than being engaged. Many may bring an intention to a class to achieve, to accomplish, to attain, to pursue, etc, and give themselves a "no pain, no gain" approach when they practise the poses. This is one of the many worldly habits we bring to yet another class in the practitioner's point of view, which is a conditioning from other 'classes' since young - school class, extra curriculum class, tuition class, swimming class, piano class, ...class..es....etc...The nature of a Yoga class is to empower oneself to engage in the guidance of the teacher and with no agenda to fulfil. This will allow oneself to experience what unfolds from each class. We slowly understand how 1 muscle work affect another bone's responding action, etc, and deepen one's understanding how this miraculous entity called the BODY, functions, and gradually translate this new physical and mental awareness out of our mats into our daily activities. We are then ENGAGED in our own lives, and not simply being led and got tensed up....