To get the most out of your yoga practice, I recommend that you enter into stretches slowly, pausing and deepening your breath as soon as you feel a stretch. Even though it seems counterintuitive, you can trust that a gentle stretch will provide the benefits you expect from yoga.
When you create even mild stimulation of circulation, combined with greater depths of relaxation, you can increase the rejuvenation of your entire organism.
As you move into postures you will inevitably encounter tensions and the resistances of the physical body. You will begin to discover different degrees of comfort and discomfort. When you become more attuned to physical sensations using an internal focus, you can begin to breathe and relax into the experience of intensity; what used to feel somewhat painful might lessen to the level that you might describe as discomfort instead.
With regular practice your sensitivity and discrimination will increase. Then you may be able to avoid strain and sustain more relaxation and ease throughout your practice. Moving in and out of postures at gradually deeper increments, you can move toward steadiness and ease, with an increase in energy flow. Over time, deeper tension can release, allowing for more freedom on all levels.
To learn more about Gentle Yoga and try it for yourself in a warm and welcoming online practice community, I invite you to experience one of our daily or weekly Community-Supported Classes. Beginners always welcome.
And for those ready to go deeper, please join us on select Saturdays for our Gentle Yoga Immersion series. Each class has a unique theme and beginners are also welcome and will find that two and a half hours of slow yoga goes by quickly. A masterful Gentle Yoga class is engaging, relaxing and rejuvenating.
