Preparing your mind for yoga

“A lamp does not flicker in a place where no winds blow; so it is with a yogi, who controls his mind, intellect and self is stilled through the practice of Yoga, being absorbed in the Spirit within him. When the restlessness of the mind, intellect and self is stilled through the practice of Yoga, the yogi by the grace of the Spirit within himself finds fulfillment.” B.K.S. Iyengar

Getting to class is often the hardest part of our yoga practice, just finding the time or the willpower to get there. Life is hectic, busy and often stressful. But, once we are on our mat we can slow our world down, find our breath in our body and space in ourselves. I would encourage you to take the five minutes before your class starts by exploring your breath. It is most common for the breath to be shallow and choppy. Once you put awareness on the breath try to elongate and deepen it to all find corners of your lungs. This practice is inherently putting your inside your body. And, now you can begin exploring your body with your breath.

So much of the joy in yoga is the exploration of ourselves. We can gain tools to be calmer and more peaceful by creating space in our mind and body. Physiologically yoga poses nourish the parasympathetic system, revitalize the lymph and blood to encourage healthy detoxification of waste products and stimulate digestive and circulatory functions. Enjoy your practice, find your breath and come back inside your body.

We hope to see you on the mat here at Blackberry Farm soon!

Namaste,

Amanda