Yoga can be the most wonderful slice of heaven to grace our routine. Or it can be a frustrating, slow process full of overthinking and impatience. Whether you're in desperate need of some change to your practice, or are looking for tips and tricks to help deepen it, check out this advice for a fulfilling yoga practice.
Make your space beautiful...
Don’t underestimate the effect the space you practice in can have. A warm and inviting space you want to be in can help your yoga practice soar to new levels. By decorating or practicing in a space you genuinely love you can bring a whole other level to your practice. Whether that's a sense of peace from being surrounded by a space that is calming and tidy. Or a sense of playfulness, pride, or simply pleasure just from bringing movement and breath to a space that makes you feel good. While our practice comes from a place within the body, our outside environment can have a huge effect on the ability to tap into our practice. Practicing in a place you find stressful, messy, or uninspiring can bring those elements straight into your practice. So whether you find a particularly lovely studio, a create your own space at home, or venture into nature - allow your space to become an active part of your practice. Allow yourself to feel inspired by the world around you.
2. Listen to relaxing music...
Whether that’s the gentle tinkling of spa music, a nature soundscape, or simply the soundtrack of the world around you. Giving your mind music or sounds to focus on is a great way to tap into a meditative state - especially for newcomers to the practice.
Try this:
- Start by finding a comfortable and relaxed position. Feel the body ground down into the earth and close the eyes or take a soft gaze.
- Bring your mind's awareness to the breath. Notice the sensations of the breath, before turning your attention to the sound of the breath. Notice the sound of the inhale. The silence between inhale and exhale. And finally the sound of the exhale. Allow your breath to lengthen with each round as you focus on these sounds.
- Keep the mind focused on the sound of the breath for several rounds.
- Begin to expand your awareness out to sounds around you. Start close to the breath, perhaps sounds from the body or space you're in. Then further out, keep expanding until you notice any and all sounds in the world around you.
- Stay with this for several rounds of breath. If your mind starts to wander, know that that's perfectly normal. Simply acknowledge the thought without judgement and let it be carried away by your next exhale, returning your focus to the sound of the breath.
- When you're ready, start to reel your awareness back in towards the sound of the breath and the body. Take your time, it's not a race.
- Stay with the sound of the breath for several more rounds of breath before letting your awareness spread back to sensations within the body - gradually bringing yourself back to a more general sense of awareness.
3. Listen to your body...
One of the most important aspects of yoga is listening to your body. Yoga actively helps to cultivate this skill, by giving you the time and space to focus on sensations within the body without judgement.
Try this:
- Take a pose you find relatively comfortable but which still provides a challenge. Settle into the pose and regulate your breathing by lengthening the breath.
- Bring your awareness to the the body. Notice any sensations that jump our at you, or any areas of the body you feel particularly aware of.
- Notice these without judgement.
- As you continue to breath through the pose, take your time exploring each aspect of the body and how it feels. You can start from the feet and gradually make your way up to the head.
- Notice if the mind starts to wander, and gentle acknowledge the thought without judgement, and return your awareness back to the body.
- Take time to notice how it feels to breath in this pose. If the breathing sensation is different than previous poses. Again, notice this without judgement.
- When it is time to move on, let the yourself do so. Find a new pose and repeat this mindfulness exercise.
4. Observe the senses...
Another fab meditative technique that encourages mindfulness. Whether you’re in savasana or downward dog, taking the time to check in with the senses grounds you in the present moment and encourages you to listen to your body. We've already covered the sense of smell and touch above. But extend your awareness into the other senses. See what, if anything, can be noticed. Don't worry if you can't really notice anything, the goal isn't to be able to use all 5 senses at once, just to explore them.
5. Connect with the breath...
Breath work, or pranayama, is one of the eight limbs of yoga and hugely effective in grounding you in the present moment. Pranayama techniques often improve concentration by giving the mind something active to focus on. For newcomers breath work doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated. Simply focusing on the breath and lengthening the inhale and exhale will ground you and calm you.
Try this:
- Take a comfortable seat, where the spine is extended but the body is relaxed. Close the eyes or take a soft gaze.
- Bring the attention to the breath. Take a neutral breath in and out.
- Inhale for a count of 4, exhale for a count of 4. Repeat this 5 times.
- Extend the count to 5. Inhale for 5, exhale for 5. Repeat 5 times.
- Extend the count to 6. Inhale for 6, exhale for 6. repeat this 5 times.
- Option to keep this going up until 8 counts.
- After your final round of breath. take another neutral breath in and out.
- Open the eyes or focus the gaze.
6. Eat food after yoga...
Eat nourishing food that makes you feel good after your yoga practice, or at least an hour before. Not only does this greatly reduce the risk of indigestion/nausea but it also gives the belly more room to move without discomfort. Giving you more space to focus on sensations from asana, not belly aches. Ensure you've eaten enough before your practice to be able to exercise without risk of dizziness, nausea or light headedness. But leave enough time, at least an hour, for your food to digest so as not to make your practice uncomfortable. Ayurvedic writings encourage practicing yoga first thing in the morning before breakfast. After yoga nourish your body and soul with food you crave that will leave you feeling fulfilled and happy. For more information on yoga and food click here. A sustained yoga practice, focussing on listening to the body, can help understanding hunger cues and which foods you crave become clearer.
Check out the rest of the blog for writings on all things yoga. To ask any questions regarding yoga lessons please email me at yogawithlaurahc@gmail.com or use the contact form. To book a lesson or browse our services click here.
By Laura Carey
200hr YAI Yoga Teacher
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