Mindful Moments of Movement

As I teach this week, we move as described, to be sturdy like the oak tree yet flexible like bamboo.

More Yoga Body Basics, "Move" is our 2nd power word in our Fusion mantra, Breathe. Move. Connect. Yoga moves are much more than just getting from one posture to the next. It's about safely maximizing movement with ease, focus and purpose after a breath is initiated, going deeper if it feels appropriate for the challenge. Never advancing if you feel pain as wise to accept whatever feels right for you.

  • Identify Body Part, Location and Direction - What goes where, and the direction is how a teacher cues for you to move. Listen, Look, Move. Then look again.
  • Alignment - Listen to Cues on where to line up your body parts. Take another look to see how body parts align with one another, then adjust.
  • Extension -  Start from the ground up. I call it "build the basement before the roof" with everything set up in between to get there. or maybe reach just a little more in one direction. It's a journey.
  • Engagement - After the above,  go deeper with your focus on muscles to stabilize our postures. Draw in and tighten up to strengthen, finding more power in a pose.
  • Opposing Forces - Reaching in opposite directions, even if on the mat. Take your most distant body parts: as one goes forward, opposite side more backward: one reaches left, the other more right; one grounds down into the earth, the other more towards the sky and upward.
  • Reflect and Adjust - Now observe the sensation of powerful, yet purposeful movement as you fully connect to what you feel in your body. Notice how your intentions mindfully moved your body to a posture, asana in sanskrit. 

    • It takes time to Move the body mindfully for best results. Take a full breath even in a vinyasa or power class to transition and get to the next pose. In less fast-paced classes, take a breath for each of the above and you end up with 6 breaths. Ah, Breathe. Move. Connect. now makes more sense. Pranayama and Asana, then the peace will come. We will go deeper about Connection next week.

    Breathing into the Moments of Movement,

    Gina

    BREATHE. MOVE. CONNECT.

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