Yoga practice will expand your awareness.
It begins with body awareness. Then, in the same moment, it includes breath awareness. It is said that practice will make you sensitive.
In other words, we’re not typically aware of everything we experience.
How could that be? Welcome to the human experience. Much is filtered out.
With regular practice many yoga students find that they become more aware of the sensations occurring in their joints, connective tissue and muscles. That’s the beginning.
Through even one practice session, when the mind’s attention is continually directed inward, the ability of the mind to concentrate increases. Initially the attention may dart around within the body while also getting distracted by thoughts. One-pointed focus can gradually improve throughout practice.
In the yogic perspective, one-pointed focus can help settle the mind to the point where meditation becomes possible.
The experience is that of noticing whatever appears in one’s field of conscious awareness without becoming focused on it, without becoming distracted by it. The mind stays steady. It notices. But it does not follow thoughts. In this way it earns its other name, “The Witness”. The Witness is a state of neutral noticing. It is non-reactive, steady, objective, equal with all, non-verbal, no opinion. You could call this state, simply being.
So, each daily practice, as well as an on-going, regular yoga practice, is this journey of expanding awareness. This state of conscious awareness is delicate. Otherwise we might choose to be there whenever we want. But it requires inward focus and steadying the mind.
That is the beginning of understanding the journey of yoga practice. As most journeys go, the yoga journey has many landmarks, stunning sights, surprises, obstacles, emotional ups and downs. Those who have taken this journey offer many valuable teachings for understanding the blessings and the challenges.
In these Mindful Living blog posts I will attempt to share what I have learned in my practice and study, and the wisdom of those whose teachings have helped shine a light on the path for me.
To learn more about Dynamic Gentle Yoga, I invite you to experience one of our daily or weekly classes.
If you are a yoga teacher, I invite you to consider the Dynamic Gentle Yoga Teacher Training. The dates are now posted for the Fall 2021 session. Stay tuned to learn when registration will open.
If you have previously taken at least the first module with Rudy, but have not received your certification, it’s not too late to join us for Module 2, 3, and/or 4. Contact us to inquire how to register.
