deepening your yoga practice
Saturday, September 17, 2011 at 10:51AM 
If you're feeling ready to take your practice deeper:
1-More. Try adding another session or two each week. Once you've been attending a weekly class and practicing at home consistently, you are ready for more yoga. Keep it simple by adding another 1/2 hr.-1 hr. each week. Establish a weekly routine by scheduling it on your calendar. If 4pm on Thursdays is on the schedule for yoga, you are more likely to roll out your mat and get to it.
2. Sustainability. Be mindful of what your body can handle right now. If you are feeling strong then your practice may reflect that. If you are exhausted or recovering from an injury you might need a few weeks or months to practice more gently. The idea is to do something! Students often tell me they have stopped practicing because they are tired or injured. Waiting to start again once all is perfect is a way of avoiding the present and we miss the best part of yoga, which is the healing aspect. Let your yoga be something you learn from during recovery times. Lighten up on yourself. A regular practice over time, builds strength and confidence. Sometimes we do need to push ourselves toward transformation, other times we can let up on the gas with an intention of restoring our energy.
3. Breathe. During practice our focus on breathing always remains. We might veer away from time to time, but we need to keep returning to our breathing as a way of staying inwardly focused and awake. We learn so much about our movements internally and externally by placing gentle focus on the flow of our breath. Inhaling and exhaling there is power and steadiness.
4. Non-judging. No matter what the current condition is, there is freedom in approaching our practice from a non-judging place. That means whether feeling strong, weak, bored or elated we take the middle path. Being in the center without forming big ideas or opinions clears the way for release of tension both physcially and mentally. The best way to do this is to stay present to whatever comes up and calmly observe it, watch it and be curious about it. No need to weigh in too heavy.
5. Quietude. Life is noisy. All day every day, we encounter sounds and noises wherever we are. Never forget how valuable it is to your inner peace, to practice quieting down regularly. I always encourage students to turn off the noise while practicing. Even turning off the music is ok. Hearing the sound of your breathing during vinyasa is powerful. Go ahead and clear out some of the brain clutter by being quiet.
Reader Comments (1)
Its a great post indeed. It let us know that Yoga is not only about exercising or stretching our body health but due to this we can make ourselves relax and it makes our mind fresh.
Actually I find out about Article related about Bikram Yoga, but I can't found it on Google, hope you can write that topic for me, it's my pleasure to visit again your website .. ^_^