How To Practice Mindful Yoga

I know I say it a lot in classes,  move with ‘mindfulness’ / Awareness so I thought I would write a little more about what that means and how the practice of mindful yoga on the mat can be an essential practice off the mat.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness has many facets and has become a popular term for meditation, but meditation and mindfulness can be very different practices, meditation is a deeper focused internal practice, while meditation helps us become more mindful, mindfulness is a practice of awareness that can be practiced anytime, anywhere, and with anyone by connecting to the hear and now.

So What is Mindful Yoga?

Mindful yoga  is a way to connect with your body and breath through movement. Mindful movement encourages you to be intentional and aware of yourself while you move. The combination of breath and movement during our yoga practice is designed to encourage you to nurture the mind-body connection that’s so central to mindful movement. So when you’re on the mat, begin to really notice the subtle things like how it feels to move into a cobra pose how your shoulders feel, how the palms press against the mat etc. you will really begin to enjoy the movement even more.

 

How to take this off the mat

I’ve found being mindful during my yoga practice really helpful. That hour of just being in a class and taking the time away from everyday distractions to really connect with myself has set up good habits while off the mat too.

You can begin to practice off the matt in many ways too …

In your day to day lives start to notice how you stand, how you feel when a breeze catches you, notice the movement of your breath on the train or in a meeting. Really hear the sounds around you while you wait in a queue or in traffic. Notice your heart beat while you anticipate something or get nervous.  Really experience the taste of chocolate, the smell of someone you love,  the sensations of combing your hair, or brushing your teeth etc the list can go on but there is SO much to be fully experienced … 🙂 So start practicing a little today and see your everyday experiences transform x

 

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