If you dedicate time to your body, it may be the right moment to invite your mind to join in as well.
With the semester of graduate studies behind me, I’m at last indulging in some essential self-care by joining a nearby yoga studio. My practice has been inconsistent with everything happening globally and the additional time pressure of graduate school while working full-time. However, with all that I’m juggling, it’s even more crucial that I carve out time for self-care.
Though my yoga sessions were significantly less frequent in recent months, as I only attended outdoor classes weekly, I focused on developing something else. Over the past year, I’ve started to take mindfulness and meditation much more seriously. My activities have ranged from personal quiet time to a trial on Calm and meditation sessions on Clubhouse. Initially, it felt like a challenging ascent, but as I establish stronger routines around meditation, I find it tremendously easier to be mentally present when I retrieve my mat from the closet for yoga practice.
Mindful presence is often the most undervalued aspect of yoga for certain practitioners. Even if you’re physically on the mat and going through your poses, your mind could be elsewhere, racing at lightning speed. The greater your life stress and responsibilities, the more difficult it is to unplug from everything and simply be in the moment.
Moving in sync with your breath is just as vital in yoga as mastering the postures.
In my earlier practice years, I consistently underestimated the significance of breathwork. I would attempt to maintain pace and control my breathing, but for those new to yoga, accomplishing everything simultaneously can be challenging. Even though I was quite dedicated to learning proper alignment and working on fluid transitions between poses, I overlooked the importance of mastering breath.
Reflecting on it now, I genuinely recognize the flaw in my previous methodology. Breath truly is a critical aspect of yoga. It’s challenging to breathe mindfully while aiming to enhance strength and flexibility, but genuinely moving with the breath, as instructors encourage, compels you to be more present. It’s captivating and immersive. Aligning your movements with your breath requires significant focus.
Regardless of how difficult it may seem, as it did for me initially, continue practicing. As the poses become more familiar and slightly easier, breathing through them will feel more instinctual. The act of aligning movement with breath turns every pose into a significant experience. Each inhale and exhale prepares you for the moment. This enhances the sensations and stretches of every pose, making it much easier to remain mindfully engaged in your class.
In moments of stillness, counting breaths is profoundly grounding.
Counting the seconds that pass during your inhale and exhale is an incredibly straightforward practice. This is a well-known tip when commencing a meditation routine, allowing you to occupy your mind with something relevant to your current activity. Frequently, when lost in thought, what occupies your mind has little connection to your physical actions. For instance, while driving, you typically do not contemplate the act of driving every second you’re behind the wheel.
If quieting your thoughts poses a challenge, counting each breath can be an excellent grounding strategy. I used to struggle to halt my thoughts altogether. That simple, automatic act of counting made it significantly easier for me to progress toward genuine meditation.
Moreover, in the winding down stages of a yoga class, purposefully elongating your exhalations can be quite beneficial. This technique has been shown to decrease your heart rate. If you want a bit of science added, extending your exhalations beyond your inhales stimulates the parasympathetic nerve, promoting relaxation. When you’re settling down and approaching shavasana, this is a great method to slow your pace.
Visualization strategies can aid in soothing chaotic thoughts.
If your mind is reluctant to quiet down, try engaging it in something more calming. Visualizing and observing images with your mind’s eye requires considerable mental energy.
I began to explore visualization during shavasana when practicing at a studio with music. I would find it tough to cease my thoughts, so I would strive to maintain mental quietness by visualizing things that resonated with the music. Sometimes, I’d envision floating when the music had a nautical feel. Other times, I’d visualize colors swirling in abstract patterns.
Visualization is deeply personal and subjective. If it proves useful, you might consider visualizing yourself engaged in