Exploring your boundaries through Yoga….
Yoga is not only a physical exercise routine but also a spiritual one. In every asana movement, we are encouraged to keep in mind our focus on breathing – inhalation and exhalation. Taking the breath in when doing the Cobra pose and exhaling during the Child pose in the series of Surya Namaskar routines is part of the practice but really focusing on the breath changes the intensity of the movement.
In addition to mindful breathing, we can take advantage of using the Yoga sequences to examine ourselves. If you are generally a proactive, aggressive, go-getter who likes to take initiative more often than not and control outcomes, it is suggested to take a more relaxed attitude and maybe miss a step in the flow. This would slowly open you up to becoming comfortable with letting go and surrendering, allowing you to accept the flow of the Universe more easily.
If you are more of the laid back type of person and are not usually the one to take initiative, focus on breaking down each yoga asana as flow steps in your awareness in tune with each breath and try to push yourself a bit further than your usual comfort level. For example, when you do the Tree pose, try to lift the non-standing leg higher –maybe on the shin if you are able to lift it only above the ankle and balance on the standing leg. In time, this will allow you to be courageous in other aspects of your life.
In this way, you can take the learning from your yoga practice to other activities during your day!
