ENERGIZING THE MIND, MIND EXERCISES

Yoga is wildly popular with immense benefits in increasing strength, flexibility, posture, balance, concentration and focus.  This article hones in on how we can optimize each yoga pose and focus in on key message underlying the post.  Here are some helpful tips on what to focus on while doing yoga… simply concentrate on the thought and breathe into it.

Mountain Pose

Tah-DAH-suh-nuh

Foundation pose that imposes posture, balance an calm focus.  Consider this your grounding pose for stability.  It looks like you are standing in a spot, but your body is holding strength, alignment, and intention.  Sometimes you need to learn to stand still well before you can move forward.  When correctly executed you use all the muscles in your body, as in your growth, you will use all your senses and emotions to grow.  This basic grounding pose should be practiced with the intention of setting a foundation.

Meditation exercise: focus on building stability and a strong foundation.

Tree Pose 

Vrik-SHAH-sun-nun

This pose allows you to look outward at a distance focal point – while your body is challenged to focus and balance on one leg, building inner awareness of your mind and body.  There is strength in keeping your vision straight and clear even when it is uncomfortable.  This position is successful with opposing pressures coming to a central line through the body.

Meditation exercise:  focus on the big picture to give you clarity on your choices.

Bow Pose

Dha-NUR-asana

This pose uses your strength to lift your hands and feet off the floor resembling an archer’s bow. As you gaze forward, you can feel your body elongating, stretching in opposite directions, with strength from the core and back muscles. This represents the stretching required to bring you out of your comfort zone and into new areas of your life.

Meditation exercise:  focus on stretching yourself out of the comfort zone.

Upward Facing Dog

OORD-vah MOO-kah shvon-AHS-anna

This is one of the key poses in the sun-salutation sequence carried by the strength In your arms and core as your entire body is lifted from your feet to your chest.   The shoulder blades are pushed back opening up your chest and ribs, creating a vulnerability in this position.  Your heart is facing the sun and it is one of the love poses.

Meditational exercise:  focus on gratitude and opening up your heart

Standing Forward Bend

OOT-tan-AHS-ahna

This pose requires you to lean forward, relaxing your neck and letting your head hang as your draw your body close to the legs. Although humans are social creatures, there comes a time that we need to regroup and focus internally – check our internal barometer, close our eyes and shut out the world.  This pose reflects the physical embodiment of inner search.

Meditational exercise:  take the time to look internally and reflect on the self

Shoulderstand

sar-van-GAHS-anna                                      

A  supported shoulder stand pose is an inversion that starts by lying on the floor and lifting your legs up overhead. As you progress into the pose, with a strong core, you are able to press the arms and upper body into the ground completely moving the hips and legs off the floor.  As your legs remain lifted the blood flow in the body reverses briefly, allowing blood to flow to the brain, stimulating the thyroid.  This pose takes courage and allows you to experience the world differently, from a new point of view.

Meditational exercise: fight the fears in your mind and dare to stand up for what you believe.

Keep these meditational focus points on the mind as you do your next yoga and enjoy the energetic flow of your movements!