Friday, October 17, 2008

Making it into your own practice

Teaching yoga for less than a year and I am learning so much not only from my own practice but the students too. I watched them and have seen their own made progress from each and very movement they do. It's not the arm balances or the number of headstands they do, rather it's the focus they have from one pose to the other. Last night the students practiced their postures well with their breathing techniques. Each breath taken was synchronised with their movements during the vinyasa flow.

Breathing in deeply and effectively into and out of the poses helps mobilise the joints, muscles and spine more fluidly without jerking or overstretching any parts of the body.

I used to practice in the house garden in the evenings before taking the practice to the studio. It was nice breathing in fresh air into the lungs, just doing 3 rounds of sun salutations. It made such a difference to the day I had. During the practice, I found it important to bring awareness into how I moved with my breaths, at the same time, enjoying each and very movement I did without rushing into the next pose.

So, do enjoy what you do in yoga without having to feel you need to achieve a certain 'standard'.
It's a gift to yourself to remain supple and healthy, not a competition or a sport event.

See you soon in class again