| As Yoga practitioners I'm sure you're all aware of the | | | | unsure of yourself in a pose, shift your attention to the |
| astounding physical benefits of a regular asana | | | | breath. While practicing asana or pranayama, always |
| practice. But what is it that keeps you coming back to | | | | strive to maintain as smooth and relaxed breath as |
| the mat? Even more than the physical benefits of | | | | you can. Pay attention to times you strain or hold the |
| yoga, the practice's unique ability to dissolve stress and | | | | breath in a pose and where the blockages occur; |
| leave us feeling refreshed, clear, and in tune with who | | | | these are the places where energy flow becomes |
| we really are is where the real magic happens. The | | | | compromised. Find a little more space and adjust your |
| mind and the body, which are usually out of sync with | | | | posture so that the breath feels natural again. If you |
| one another, become unified and our energy comes | | | | are practicing with Ujayi breath, make sure it is not so |
| into balance. To practice for the less obvious results of | | | | powerful that it is closing off your throat. A little |
| yoga, you will find that you have to shift your emphasis | | | | softness goes a long way. |
| to the subtle, or energetic body. The tricky part about | | | | To focus and expand your awareness even further, |
| this is, that the subtle body is, well, subtle. It takes a lot | | | | take your attention to the physical sensations you are |
| of focus as well as the ability to surrender the mind to | | | | feeling during your practice. Always be sure to take |
| come into touch with your energy and to be able to | | | | some time to rest during asana, both as a physical |
| expand and strengthen its flow. | | | | release and as a way to connect more deeply |
| In the earlier stages of practice, the mind can be a | | | | internally. Stand in Tadasana for a few extra breaths |
| very dominant force on the mat. You may feel driven | | | | between Sun Salutations or take an extra child's pose. |
| by images of a strong, athletic body, or by an intense | | | | During these times, let your focus rest on the feelings |
| desire to 'succeed' in yoga. All sorts of mental ideals | | | | within the body -- the breath, the pulse, the heat, and |
| and patterns drive and shape our practice, as they do | | | | the magnetic glow of your own energy. Let your |
| our lives. This is great! Having a strong motivation, | | | | whole asana practice be a means to cultivate and |
| either for perfecting your alignment or taking that extra | | | | expand this internal awareness. |
| chatturanga, is very important! | | | | While in a poses that require a lot of strength, feel how |
| However, if your practice is to evolve into more subtle | | | | as the muscles work synergistically, how the whole |
| territory, your mind must learn to let go of its desire to | | | | body becomes connected and you experience a |
| be the leader. Personally, it took a couple of injuries | | | | sense of lightness and freedom! Notice how keeping |
| before I really understood that I could not control the | | | | the standing leg engaged in a balance pose is more |
| course of my practice, or when I would be able to sit in | | | | about your mind's focus than your actual strength. |
| Lotus pose (my once thought pinnacle of yogic | | | | While stretching, find a level of intensity in the stretch |
| perfection). Eventually, a shift in focus has to take | | | | where you can let your whole body release -- if you |
| place to allow the natural intelligence of the body and | | | | can't relax move out of the stretch a little. See if you |
| the breath to unfold a practice organically. If you can | | | | can separate the mental reaction to the stretch ("ow it |
| make this leap, then your practice will take on an | | | | hurts!") from the pure sensation of it. |
| entirely new dimension as you learn to expand your | | | | These are all tools that will bring you the best benefits |
| awareness of your energy and bring your mind and | | | | of yoga: strengthening our connection to the subtle |
| body into harmony. | | | | body and opening to the spontaneous flow of energy. |
| There are a couple of things you can keep in mind in | | | | If our minds are dominating our practice, then our |
| order to help make this shift, most importantly the | | | | patterns of holding tension and resisting the open flow |
| breath. My first yoga teacher used to say that, "the | | | | of energy will follow us onto the mat during yoga |
| breath is your truth serum." The breath is a | | | | classes. If we can learn to let the body and the breath |
| moment-by-moment expression of how we are | | | | show us our true yoga, then our potential is limitless. |
| relating to our practice and to life. If you are ever | | | | |