Honor & meet YOUR body where it is at, in the moment. Doing so allows you to remain connected to your practice & to avoid injury. Your body, not the teacher, is the true guide, as yoga is about becoming in tune with your own body. Only you know what that is for you. Your body may not want to do what is did yesterday or last week. You might have an injury to pay attention to. You might be feeling run down. Listen to that, respect it & try not to compare or judge.
Adopt a beginner’s mind. Be open, even if you are an experienced yogi. Yoga is an ongoing practice. Yoga is hard work. It may look “simple” compared to many other forms of activity, but it is not. Even “relaxing” poses can be challenging. Start at the beginning with a solid foundation of knowledge of alignment to avoid injury.
Ease & Effort. If you aren’t breathing, you aren’t doing yoga. So if you can’t let your breath flow, back off. You may have gone too far. We want to avoid injury, so be gentle with yourself always. Take a break when you need it. It is YOUR practice. That means only you know what your body & mind need from your practice. If something doesn’t “feel” right to you, don’t do it. Ask for modifications or find a resting position.
Look for YOUR intelligent edge. Look for the sweet spot in every pose. That is where you are challenging your body but still staying in your comfort zone. Your intelligent edge is that place in a pose where you are feeling a soothing stretch & your muscles are working but there is no pain or strain or fatigue.
A good question to ask yourself throughout YOUR practice is “How am I feeling right now?”.
Yoga can bring many emotions to the surface. This is bound to happen from all the “releasing” yoga provides. This is normal & welcome. This is a safe, judgment free place to be with emotions that may rise up for you.
Inspired Yoga with Leanne 