5 Ways To Deepen Your Asanas
Have you ever felt like you were going through the motions in a yoga class? If so, this post is for you.
Yoga is designed to connect the body, mind and breath, but it’s all too easy to lose sight of that goal when we're busy trying to keep up with the flow of a class.
Below are five ways to deepen your practice and get more out of your asanas.
Build Your Foundation
You may know that you need a strong foundation before you can start doing advanced poses like headstands. At Ubuntu Bali we require that you dedicate at least two weeks to learning the primary series sequence. Why? So that you build a solid foundation. This will help build strength, deepen your concentration and flexibility to prevent injury down the road.
Support Yourself with Props
Props are a wonderful way to get into a pose, and they can also help you deepen your practice. For example, if you are having difficulty finding length in the hamstrings, try using blocks underneath the pelvis to support it while lunging forward. This will make it easier for you to find length in those muscles and create space between each vertebrae at the midline of your back as well as elongate through your spine.
Using props wisely while deepening asana practice will allow us to explore more of our bodies' capabilities without compromising technique or stability.
Focus on Alignment
It is important to be mindful of your body’s alignment as you move into each pose. The alignment of your body with gravity is the first step in deepening your yoga asana practice. This provides an opportunity for you to focus on the breath, the pose, and on yourself. Focusing on these things can help deepen your understanding of how body responds to each movement.
Breathe Into Your Asanas
As you breathe, observe the sensations throughout your body. Feel where you are expanding and contracting with each breath. Let the rhythm of your inhale and exhale slow down so that it becomes natural and automatic, rather than something done consciously. In yoga, the breath allows us to create calm, relax the body and deepen into our yoga pose. This foundation helps us to be present with every moment in life.
Hold the Yoga Pose
When you're first learning a pose, start by holding it for at least five breaths. If you can't do that, then try three breaths. If that doesn't feel good, aim for one breath.
The truth is: the longer you hold a pose the better it will be for your body and mind. And don't worry if there are certain poses that are difficult to hold for more than one breath—you'll get there eventually.
The five tips above are great ways to deepen your asanas, but there is so much more that you can learn about yoga. If there is one tip to take away from this article, it would be to practice mindfulness. By being mindful, you are able to be more present and attentive in all aspects of life.
