Control and Responsibility
In your Yoga practice you are in control of what you do. For the beginner this may seem alarming, but you’ve been in control of your physical self since you were born, now we are exploring the body and challenging (therefore changing) its limitations through Yoga. More importantly to your practice you are in control of your mind, capable of maintaining focus – a skill most people find difficult. As with everything in life it becomes easier with practice, and there are many benefits from this ‘mind control’.
How do I engage with the intent?
As you become more confident in your practice you will find it easier to stay connected to the overarching objective or intent of each practice, set at the start of class. As we begin in Yoga it can be difficult to keep your mind on what you are doing, let alone apply a conscious thought process to the way you engage with your practice. Some intents are easier to take hold of than others, and this varies from student to student. Your frame of mind can also be important when connecting to the intent, so be sure to recognise how you feel at the beginning of your practice, and see how it affects how challenging you find the practice.
Forrest Yoga Basic moves
The basic moves of Forrest yoga are:
- Tucking the tailbone
- Active feet
- Active hands
- Telescoping the ribs
- Wrapping the shoulders
The conscious engagement within your body helps to resolve common issues that we face and make your practice more effective at unravelling . You can practice these throughout your day to help ground you in the present, as they do in your practice. Try to use them when you practice the Exercise below.
Exercise
For a few minutes each day practice the Ujayii breath. (“Hello! Hhhhh! Hhh-“) If the Ujayii breath feels restrictive release the throat lock and breathe deeply, without sound.
As you practice focus only on the breath, the sensation and sound of the breath, study the length of the breath and observe how it changes: find the most comfortable rhythm for you.
Take a few simple poses that we have practiced together from the warm up and cool down parts of the practice (ie seated or reclined poses) using the Ujayii breath. If you feel comfortable you can use the Ujayii breath as you flow through a couple of Classic Suns:
Standing, hands in prayer position > arms raise > fold > lunge > plank > cobra > down dog (inhale) > adjust for lunge > lunge > standing fold > stand up, arms raised > hands in prayer position
Recognise the path your mind takes when you play with these exercises – can you maintain focus or are you distracted, can you be present in the moment or do you find that you are drawn to what has happened or what might happen?