Creating Space

Practicing yoga is to yoke the mind and body together. It can breathe life into one's vitality as well as one's mental and physical fortitude. In my belief, with a true yogic practice, there is wholistic commitment and dedication to compassion and presence. This is hard shit! it takes work! But, l am reminded over and over again that practicing non-attachment (judgement and expectation) to my asana (poses), means that l am putting effort into practicing those tenets off of my mat as well. This connection can be done with slow breath, with setting a daily intention, or repeating a mantra when emotions arise. This is not to say that I work towards being in a complete state of non-emotion. I am working towards coming to a more stable and grounded place to let my feelings and emotions be validated, prioritized, and understood in a more logical way.

I fully believe that by creating physical space in the body, with stretching and using breathwork, your mind is able to make space to honor people and situations that you come into your life. For many of us, and for so many people in the past, our ability to quiet the mind can be attempted when we are tasked with focusing on one challenging task at hand- our physical practice. So, whether you practice every day, or once a week, or are striving to pick it up and start, here are three tips to help with finding that mind body connection, that is indeed, the purpose of yoga and meditation.

Fix your gaze:

Select something to look at during your practice. You can light a candle or place a picture of something meaningful or soothing in front of you. Keeping your gaze focused can also keep your mind present and can be a buoy in the ocean of our intrusive thoughts. You might also like to practice closing your eyes during your flow or meditation. Closing your eyes during movement can also be an excellent way to challenge your mind and body to connect in a special way to keep you balanced, steady, and secure.

Set your intention:

Setting an intention for your physical or mental practice is key. You can choose to focus on something to work towards or to let go. I find that it's helpful and tied best to manifesting energy when you can state your intention positively in the present tense. Think of something that you can work on now and take with you later. Great examples can be I am statements: "l am calm, I am present, or I am brave". You can also choose a declaration like:"l am committed to patience during this practice and in my interactions with others today". It doesn't need to be perfect; select something that feels right to you and is truthful in the moment.

Connect your breath:

Start your practice or meditation by taking some deep inhales through the nose and exhales out of the mouth. For a warm up, try breathing in for a count of 4 and then exhaling for a count of 6 holding your breath for a beat at the top and bottom of your breathing cycle. Do your best, as you sit quietly or stretch, to keep an even breath. Your breath is your greatest teacher and it will tell you when you might need to back off or when you could challenge yourself further.

In love, bloom where you are planted.