December Pose of the Month
Since the essence of yoga is to become a better, more mindful person how can we honor the practice more mindfully?
“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; On purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn—referred to by some as the father of mindfulness
Our yoga practice can help us to also practice mindfulness and for some yogis mindfulness is an essential aspect of their yoga practice. Mindfulness can add so much more to a yoga practice, taking it past the physical level to give more meaning and depth to the practice off of the mat. The word ‘Yoga’ in Sanskrit means to join, to yoke together, to unite. Many times it’s translated as the union of the body and mind. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali says in sutra 1.2 that we do this, unite the body and mind, and experience Yoga by restraining the modifications or fluctuations of the mind-stuff. This is mindfulness… we gain control, or mastery, over our wild wandering mind and bring our attention into the present moment.
Michelle Ribeiro (certified life coach and registered yoga teacher) says that, “Yoga and mindfulness go together because the aim of both is to achieve a higher level of connection, awareness, or union, between the mind, body, and spirit. In fact, yoga without mindful awareness cannot be yoga.”
So when we practice yoga we are essentially also practicing mindfulness. They are both about achieving connection, awareness, and union of the mind and body. The question then becomes, which one is the highlight of your practice? Do you practice asana with mindfulness or do you practice mindfulness through the form of asana? There really is no wrong or bad answer here, but the experience will be a bit different.
The most common way we practice mindfulness in Hatha Yoga styles is through breath awareness, pranayama practice. However, overall we can experience the benefits of mindfulness on our mat by simply- yet not always simple in practice- bringing our awareness to the present moment at all times, and noticing and accepting what is happening in that moment without judgment or reaction. Have you tried doing that before while holding a challenging balancing pose, when you feel extra restless in savasana, when you feel your thighs burning in warrior I or II or tension in your shoulders. In those moments, typically all we can think about is the joy and relief we will feel when we can let go of the pose, and sometimes we go along with that story line a little further to the point where we become really agitated and perhaps even mentally check out. Those are the moments when we need to practice mindfulness the most. When we can accomplish this, observing rather than reacting, we are using the asana as a vehicle to cultivate mindfulness.
You still feel those same sensations and think the same thoughts, cause we’re all human after all. However, instead of getting overwhelmed with them, letting them control you, and turn what could be a pleasant experience into a painful one we mindfully embrace that moment. We simply observe those sensations, thoughts, feelings, etc. without reacting and going off with our story lines. You appreciate the moment for what is, focus on pranayama, maybe even spend some time practicing gratitude.
Practicing mindfulness can be a healing and restorative experience. According to Psychology Today, some of the benefits of practicing mindfulness include, but are not limited to: increased concentration, memory, immunity to colds and diseases, feelings of happiness and contentment; reduction in chronic pain, blood pressure, stress, anxiety, and depression.
Restorative Yoga is also said to be a style of yoga that leads the yogi to a more healing and recuperative experience. A restorative yoga practice invites you to slow down and cultivate a deep level of relaxation since you use the support of lots of props and hold the poses a lot longer than you would traditionally in a Hatha or Vinyasa based practice. The intention here is to basically get into the shape of the pose as comfortably as you can and let go of any physical effort. By being able to rest and let go here, one is able to explore their mind and body at a steady and natural tempo. Some say that restorative yoga could be called “mindful yoga”, due to the expanded awareness of self and body that comes through the practice. The slower pace helps the practitioner cultivate space for a deeper experience of the poses and the breath. This deeper experience includes a greater awareness of the physical sensations and the thoughts and emotions that arise during one's practice. Essentially, restorative yoga is intended to take the mindfulness that is found in all disciplines of yoga to the next level.
Our pose of the month, Supta Baddha Koṇāsana/Reclined Bound Angle pose, is a restorative yoga posture. Take time this month to enjoy this juicy, gentle heart and hip opener and cultivate a deeper sense of awareness during your time on your mat. Below are some other ways you can connect to a more mindful practice on your yoga mat. Perhaps they can also inspire your intention-setting practice this month. Whether you’re flowing and moving at a faster pace in one of our Hatha flow classes or taking time to slow down in one of our Restorative yoga classes, enjoy the time you get to practice Supta Baddha Konasana this month to help you stay grounded and mindful this holiday season.
Ways to honor your practice more mindfully:
Remove all distractions from your practice area.
This is a lot harder if you’re practicing from home, but do your best to leave anything and everything that you don’t need for your practice outside of the space. Yes that means cell phones too! If you must have your cell phone with you, make sure it’s on DO NOT DISTURB and perhaps even consider covering the screen.
Arrive on time and if possible try to arrive early.
Give yourself time to settle in and tap into your own experience. After you’ve gotten your mat and props setup, take some time for a quiet mediation or to just lie down w/your eyes closed. This time will also allow you to start tapping into how you feel, to better prepare for your practice and setting an intention.
Allow yourself to let go of any agenda for the class.
Set a positive, meaningful intention for your practice- a quality or virtue that you want to cultivate more in your life. Try to release any attachment to goals you have for practice (i.e. being more flexible). Allow the practice to unfold as it will, without you having any particular attachment to how it shows up.
Resist the urge to compete with others.
Do your best to stay connected to what makes the most sense for you in every pose. If you notice you’re becoming distracted by others’ practice, try focusing more on #6 below!
Notice when you need to rest or modify and do it.
Stay in your practice even when you need to rest by taking a child's pose, easy pose, or any other pose that is relaxing for you.
Use your gaze as a grounding force to increase your awareness.
Your gaze or drishti point can help to remove distractions by keeping you connected to your breath and the experience.
Take time for Savasana.
The urge to skip this part of your practice may be more of an issue when practicing from home, which many of us are doing a lot more of these days. However, try to resist the distractions that want to take you away from spending time in Savasana at the end of your practice. Enjoy the time to mindfully rest.
(reference- https://www.doyou.com/10-ways-to-bring-mindfulness-to-your-yoga-practice/)
To practice Supta Baddha Koṇāsana at home, follow the alignment steps below.
ALIGNMENT
Seated on the floor, bring heels together, knees wide.
Option to support knees with options listed below.
Recline back (may use props as listed below)
Rest arms about 45 degrees from body with palms facing up