Better Balance + Flow

For most of my early years of practicing yoga, I understood it to be one thing; flexible poses and a lot of breathing with the occasional mantra or intention setting. I would move through my postures, doing my best to get them ‘right’ because, at 18, I didn’t know any better. It wasn’t until I went to my first Hot Yoga class at the local Moksha (now Modo) studio that I was introduced to a deeper experience of yoga. Not to say anything about the practitioners I had learned from before. What I now recognize is that the union of various aspects and elements came together in that room in a way that allowed me to truly step outside of myself for a moment in time. And this is what I mean by well-rounded.

Are you Setting an Intention?

Many classes begin with this concept of bringing a word or mantra to mind that you can refer back to throughout your practice as a sort of motivation to continue moving forward. As I begin to introduce Bhakti, or devotion, into my personal practice, I’ve noticed the impact that having soft chanting playing in the background has on my focus. Of course, there are so many things going on in the midst of asana practice, in our minds as well and through the flow of movement, that the repetitive hum helps to bring a little peace and a sense of stability through the gentle reminders that are the mantras being sung. Whatever your intention may be for stepping on the mat, I encourage you to include a devotion that will assist you with recalling it throughout your practice.

Does your Environment Mirror your Desired Mental State?

If there is one thing that I know to be true, it is that our external world and our internal world are continually influencing one another. Have you ever had a day where everything seemed to be going wrong? Your To-Do list kept getting longer, deadlines were approaching and you couldn’t for the life of you find a moment’s peace to sit and think, let alone exist? What I usually find is there there is an area in my external world, be it my bedroom, office, or car, where things have started to accumulate into piles of ‘stuff.’ Maybe the kitchen sink is full of dishes or I haven’t done laundry in weeks. Whatever the case, every day I walk past these piles of clutter and the more I’m exposed to it, the more overwhelmed I feel at the idea of tidying it all up. And that feeling of overwhelm spills over into relationships, job tasks, friendships, you name it, until I finally address it. And it works the other way; if you’re stressed out about your job, you may not feel up to doing chores when you get home.

So when it comes to my yoga practice, I keep that area clear of anything that is not going to enhance my time on the mat. I have a basket for my props, a small buddha statue, and my incense, to help arouse my other senses while I practice. This helps me to filter out whatever else might be going on in my world at the moment so I can immerse myself in a little spiritual healing.

Are You Exploring Different Styles of Yoga?

I love a good Yin yoga class. Even better if it’s Restorative. But that’s not the first style I was introduced to. For a long time, I thought there was only Hatha or Vinyasa, and I had no idea what either of those meant. I would show up to class and just follow the instructions, again just trying to get it ‘right.’ Over time I learned of a style called Ashtanga and heard terms like Bikram and Iyengar. All of these new ways of practicing seemed scary and advanced to me until I did a little research and gave them a try. Over time I learned about something called Kundalini and that your entire practice can be centered around the breath in Pranayama.

The approach I take now when I wake up in the morning is to check in with myself and seek to understand what my body needs at that moment. Am I craving more vigorous movement to get me energized for the day ahead, or am I longing for a little more ease after a fitful night’s sleep? By incorporating the many aspects of yoga into your daily life, you open yourself up to a more connected understanding of the Self. The mind and the body work together to bring your awareness to the present moment and by opening yourself up to try something new, you may discover that your understanding of yoga becomes much simpler.

To join me on the mat for a Live practice, you can book your class HERE