When beginning any yoga practice you always want to do a “warm up”. Just as with any other exercise routine best practice is to always do a warm up to start. The warm up for yoga is called centering. This will not be your typical active warm up but think of it more as a warm up for your mind. This time that you take at the beginning of your practice allows you to quiet your mind and set an intention for your practice. Below I will walk you through a couple of ways that you can perform your centering.
Breathwork
There are many different styles of breathwork that can be performed. Today I will introduce you to the breath awareness technique. In future blog posts I will explain how to perform other breath practices. The breath awareness technique doesn’t have much more to it than the title says.
How To Do It
Begin by taking a comfortable seat, either on the floor or in a chair. Begin to soften your gaze and either close your eyes or take your gaze down towards the floor. Now begin to tune in and just notice your breath as it is. Notice as air flows in as you inhale and as air flows out as you exhale. You may place your right hand over your heart and your left hand on your belly to help you tune into your breath more. Notice how just breathing feels. Begin to notice what is happening in your mind as you are breathing. Don’t try to change or do anything about what is happening just simply be the observer and notice. Continue to notice your breath for 1-5 minutes, whatever feels right for you. This doesn’t need to be long just enough to bring you into the present moment and to notice what is happening in your body and mind today.
Mantra
Starting your yoga practice with a mantra is another option to center yourself before you begin the physical portion. If you Google mantras you will notice a long list of links to lists of different mantras. You can pick a specific mantra to what you feel you need that day or you can just choose a generic one. For this example let’s use the more generic mantra of “I am present in this moment.”
How To Do It
Begin by taking a comfortable seat, either on the floor or in a chair. Begin to soften your gaze and either close your eyes or take your gaze down towards the floor to begin to turn inward. Start by taking a few breaths and just begin to notice your breath (as explained above). Bring your hands together at hearts center in Anjali Mudra. If this is not comfortable for you simply place your hands palm side up on your thighs. Keeping your eyes closed or your gaze soft begin, either out loud or silently, repeating your mantra a minimum of three times. For example, you would say, “I am present in this moment, I am present in this moment, I am present in this moment.” Making sure each time you repeat it you are connecting with your mantra they are not just words coming out of your mouth. This can now be your intention for your practice today. At any time you can come back to your breath and this mantra if you feel you need to recenter during your practice.
Have a Wonderful Yoga Practice
You now have a couple of options to make sure you are centering yourself prior to beginning the asana (poses) portion of your yoga practice. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to me through my Contact page. I can help you understand centering more or help you get a centering practice of your own started. A lot of my daily doses of inspiration that I post on Instagram can be used as your centering as well so be sure to head over there and follow me for more ideas at @inhale_mindfulness. Next week I will go in depth on the importance of Shavasana and how to make sure you are getting the most out of your entire yoga practice.
I recommend that you consult your physician regarding the applicability of any recommendations and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program. When participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself.