There are many traps to get caught in when practicing Yoga. Some of the most common ones are becoming obsessed with “achieving” or “mastering” an asana (posture) OR perhaps losing ourselves in the physicality/sensualness of the practice OR perhaps just letting the mind drift with thoughts, hopes and dreams.
Well a clever little technique to bring mindfulness back into our body when practicing involves asking ourselves the following when we are on the mat,
- Is the breath free? When we hold or control our breath we tend to lose awareness – ALWAYS SET THE BREATH FREE
- What is the direction of an asana, ie what spatial direction should we moving into?
- Where is our centre of gravity (centre of our mass/weight)?
By asking these 3 questions as we practice we can move into Sthira and Sukha (Steadiness and Ease) which is the essence of a true Yoga asana practice.