Definitely a side benefit of a calm mind is a relaxed forehead !
One of the great thing about restorative yoga therapy is that it prepares the mind for stillness. If you haven’t tried it, I teach it both in group, workshop, and private yoga classes. Give me a buzz, I am located in Jersey City…and radiate! Ha ha Meditation is the new wrinkle cream 🙂
This girl is apparently doing a thinking meditation…LOL
Awareness is basic but if you have trouble going deeper through sitting practices, there are other ways to set up. Certainly breathing practices and relaxation techniques not to mention restorative yoga practices will help you calm the over thinker in you especially in times of speed and stress.
Do you find it hard to ‘get there’? Contact me for private yoga lessons for a personalized approach 🙂 or invite me to give a workshop at your yoga studio 🙂
Timing your affirmations and how to use affirmations in your yoga practice:
Any time is a good time for affirmations. I would have to say though, that the time your mind is most likely to allow the positivity to take root in your consciousness is when you are calm.
I like what this first affirmation says: “Whenever there is a problem, repeat over and over: All is well. Everything is working out for my highest good. Out of this situation only good will come. I am safe!”
If you plan to incorporate incorporate pranayama in your yoga practice; do the physical asana practice first then a brief still time before meditation / breathing. That way the mind is considerably less agitated. It’s like weeding a garden before you plant. The new seeds shouldn’t compete for nourishment with the weeds. Also, don’t worry if some resistance pops up. Re-conditioning the mind into positivity is something that takes repetition. It is actually not a far off practice from the practice of repeating a mantra. Repeat is key word here.
Try a 5 minute mindfulness of breathing then repeat the affirmation “Everything comes to me at the perfect time” and let it work into your psyche – this is a good recipe for your mind-body-spirit. Off the same cd, the Yoga Mind cd, there are relaxation practices too which I recommend. Just putting yourself in a positive state, any affirmations have better chance of getting heard by the brain 🙂
Who do you identify with?
If you plan to sit with your breath, I give full details on how to set up on the Yoga Mind cd; there should be no anxiety or discomfort in your posture, so use a few yoga props to ensure the spine is straight. My curiosity goes to the man on the left – he needs to sit on at least one(or two!) folded blanket(s) so his knees are not higher than the hips and bolsters fit under the outer hips is always welcome relief. Sukhasana = happy seated pose…
Also just know that meditation is a process and involves practice, patience, and replacing old patterns of thinking with a relaxed focus. You are undoing tension to uncover the calm that predates the anxiety..but just coexisting rather than resisting – honouring and accepting and gaining some distance from the busyness of the mind.
Once you are comfortable in your posture, and you are ok with touching base with your witness self, there is no need to force anything. Just bring yourself to the feeling of the breath touching the inside of your nostrils and focus on this sensation.
We can replace panic with peace as a destination 🙂 just stop fighting the mind long enough to practice taming it
Wouldn’t this be great since most of our thinking is worry/stress based?
If you have a lot on your mind, it takes more effort to push thoughts away than to cultivate the witness…just be yourself, honour, and spend 15 – 20 minutes on relaxation in addition to your yoga mat practice.
Yoga Therapy : A great ‘clear the mind’ pranayama is Kapalabhati Pranayama (pronounced (kah-pah-lah-BAH-tee). Kapala = skull and bhati = light (implying perception, knowledge).
I am available for private yoga classes, great way to build your home practice safely and should you need guidance, my Yoga Mind cd has several tracks that will lead you to that mindful altered state of deep letting go.
Intention provides direction. Helpful to be clear about what that intention is. A few minutes of mindful breathing can help clear the mind for this process.
In 20 years, I have heard many reasons why people practice yoga, and they are all valid. One of the things that I find useful whether you are building a home practice or at a yoga class, is to set an intention and check in with it periodically, mindfully.
For example, if, at the beginning of your practice you notice that you are really stiff in the neck, guide yourself to bring balance…watch that you are not tightening the shoulders or clenching your teeth in your poses. If you have a very stiff lower back, perhaps try more restorative poses that provide traction, instead of over doing strong backbends.
If you are setting goals for your day, your career, relationships, check that your actions bring balance and that you are moving in the direction of your intention. I am available for private yoga classes to help you with the process. When your practices are meaningful to you and do move you towards your state of equipoise, then you are using your yoga practice therapeutically
What in your day uplifts you? Get in touch with your inner voice with my HEARTBEAT meditation from my Yoga Mind cd, and if you like one-one personalized attention try a private yoga class with me; I am in Bergen County ~ or come join my Monday public yoga class in Tenafly meanwhile, Happy Valentines Day ~ whoever you and whatever you do today, feel loved and blessed
There are so many levels of benefits to yoga! Let’s explore them. You can start breathing and relaxing with a few tips from my Yoga Mind Cd; – join one of my public yoga classes in Tenafly or book your private yoga class with me, I am located in Bergen County
The “goal” of practice is to quiet the mind. You can start breathing and relaxing with a few tips from my Yoga Mind Cd; – join one of my public yoga classes in Tenafly or book your private yoga class with me.
