Practice Yoga: Find your consistent self

For those of you who practice yoga, you may have heard your teacher say "relax your body and move into the posture slowly with focused attention on yourself."  "Try to relax your thoughts."  "Use your breath as an anchor."  Such words are approaches taken to try and guide a student into creating a better mind/body connection, heightening one's awareness of the importance of the unity between the two in order to achieve better balance, even beyond the physical realm. 

As a yoga teacher myself, one of the most rewarding aspects of a class is viewing the students lying in savasana - trying to let go of the stresses of their day, appearing relaxed, trying to be "still."  While it may appear that the students are in a relaxed state, the teacher is not a mind reader and often the student's inner self is in an entirely different state. The mind has such a powerful influence over our being, it can easily thwart our ability to relax inwardly and enjoy the present moment of relaxation.  Our seemingly relaxed, unmoving outer body (and quite possibly breath) can in fact be the result of a nagging thought we cannot escape from.  It is in the awareness of these nagging thoughts and bringing oneself out of the distraction that is the true essence of a growing journey into the self-improved.

In a recently written article in Yoga Journal titled "Meditation in Motion" Judith Lasater explains, "As I pay attention to what arises, I learn to see myself and my reactions more clearly; as I see myself more clearly, I begin to understand that my reactions are habits that I can let go of. This process is at the core of spiritual practice."

As a consistent student of yoga practice, understanding what arises in any given yoga class and learning to let go, is the most rewarding part of my personal practice.  It can take years of practice to experience even a single class where both the outer self and the inner self are in sync, consistent with each other, and without a contradictory experience.  Take the time, be patient, and find your unified and consistent self.   

Comments

[andrea]

kel,
we need to discuss this one....
i see it with my clients all the time!