Have you felt distracted in your yoga sessions? It’s hard for most beginners to focus in the moment when they are sitting with a group. You feel self conscious and it’s almost impossible to think about nothing. Our mind is always boggled by ideas and thoughts, it’s astonishingly difficult to empty it. Kudos to the students who were able to find peace in a local zumba studio. On the flip side, emptying your mind while you are alone presents another big challenge. Tish Carey is a yoga instructor from North Carolina who has shared some basic ways to stay present in your yoga practice at home.
Respect your body limits
Some professional yogis can touch their legs with their nose while taking a standing forward bend but this demands extreme flexibility. When it comes to yoga, you cannot do exactly as your instructor. You are still qualified to perform yoga. All you have to do is stay comfortable with the poses and perform them within your body limits. Once you are focused in the yoga asanas, it will automatically improve your experience.
Deep breathing is the soul of yoga
The idea of long and deep breaths is to help you relax and stay comfortable in your posture. Instead of trying hard to shun every idea, just try to focus on your breathing. This means you have to focus on your belly movements as it swells on exhalation and contracts while inhaling.
Don’t focus too much on “not thinking”
Its merely possible to block thoughts altogether. What you can do is not focus on any activity if it pops up in your mind. For instance if the thought of dinner comes to your mind and you are clueless what you will make for dinner, then let it be. You can spare that thought for the time you get after the yoga session.
Respect yoga practice
A yoga performer is taught to respect yogic practice and do not take it playfully. Yoga is not only an exercise, it’s an experience that helps one rediscover self awareness and use the deeper connection of mind, body and soul to his advantage.
Perform it with a smile
Can you carry out a whole yoga session without letting the smile vanish from your face? Sounds like an interesting challenge. When you will overstretch to attempt any yoga pose, the struggle shows on your face and the smile vanishes. This is a sign that you are not comfortable. Hence, there is a need to readjust so that you can bring back that smile.
Meditate
Some modern trainers believe that meditation during yoga is just a concoction. However, the truth is yoga practice is deeply linked to the habit of meditation. If you have achieved success in meditation, it will ward off any thoughts from entering your mind.
Forget the goals
The claims that yoga can help you achieve weight loss will certainly raise your expectation bar. However, while performing yoga you don’t have to think about how badly you want something. Moreover, never expect to turn and twist like professional yogis right from the first session. This thing will take a lot of time so you have to be patient.
Observe sharply
There are things that we hardly notice about ourself. For instance, which hand do you use more frequently or which foot do you lean on when you have been standing for a long time. Be more observant about your body and it will help you notice your movements during yoga.
Do it the yogi style
Why are yogis so proficient in their postures? They have learned to synchronize their breathing rhythms with their body movements. So when they are taking a pause, their mind, body and breathing pattern are all in harmony. Try adapting this yogic attitude and it will bring more meaning to your yoga practice.
Think of how blessed you are
For every exercise, there has to a drive. In case of yoga, your gratitude will fuel your practice. Think about the things you are grateful for and feel how the sense of joy overwhelms you. Your gratitude connects you to your mind and creates a motivation to continue practicing yoga.
Author Bio
Stephanie Ingram has worked in the health and nutrition industry and is keen to share her experiences by conducting lectures and training sessions on parenting and health-related issues. She offers her services as a professional consultant and trainer for Fitness Republic.
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