HOW TO BE MORE MINDFUL THROUGH YOGA

Aren’t you curious about the results if we combine Yoga and Mindfulness? It is a recipe for success to combine mindfulness techniques with physical yoga. It can be a life-changing technique to promote mental and physical health side by side.

The article will shed light on yoga, its different types, benefits of yoga and mindfulness combined. It also describes specific poses of yoga to achieve mindfulness for ultimate mental health and fitness. After reading the article, you can download Yours App to start immediately.

What is Yoga?

Yoga is a practice of mind and body which may have originated in ancient India and spread throughout the world. Yoga achieved tremendous popularity in the second half of the twentieth century in the West.

The history of yoga can be traced back to 5000 years, with its first mention in Rig Veda, an ancient Hindu religious text. It is derived from the Sanskrit word “Yuj,” meaning Union. 

Yoga started as a meditation to unite spirit, body, and mind. Hindu and Buddhist monks still widely practised the ancient form of yoga to achieve unity and internal peace. 

How does yoga work?

Yoga is a physical activity consisting of different poses (Asanas) that practice deliberate concentration on the Chakras. According to yoga texts, Chakras are the centre points of energy, feelings, thoughts, and the physical body.

Through concentration on Chakras, a person can attain internal awareness and connect with anything he wants in a state of yoga. 

There are many types of yoga with different goals and for different fitness levels.

• Bikram Yoga. Also called hot yoga, which is practised in rooms with temperatures above 100° F. 
• Iyengar Yoga. It is a form of exercise yoga that focuses on the correct structural alignment of different poses using props. 
• Power Yoga. It is a form of athletic yoga developed in the 1980s based on the traditional Ashtanga system. 
• Yin Yoga. It is a mix of yoga with traditional Chinese medicine. It is a slow-paced style of yoga as exercise. 
• Restorative Yoga. This yoga is a relaxing method. A restorative yoga session consists of four to five easy poses to achieve deep relaxation. 

There are numerous other types of yoga styles practised throughout the globe. 

What Are the Benefits of Yoga?

Yoga is practised for wellness reasons, and the following are some of its mental and physical benefits. 

• Enhances flexibility. 
• Builds muscle strength. 
• Improves breathing. 
• Helps in treating addiction. 
• Improves Sleep. 
• Improves the health of the heart. 
• Reduces stress, anxiety, and depression.
• Promotes overall wellness. 

Mindful Yoga

In reality, no physical yoga practice is complete without certain levels of mindfulness involved. In Mindful Yoga, the main focus is mind-body awareness rather than over-concentration on alignment details and physical postures during asanas. Mindful yoga aims to achieve mindfulness using asana only as a medium. 

When we incorporate mindfulness-awareness in any physical activity, focusing on the present moment turns into meditation. It also promotes observing your feelings and mind during practising different asanas, quite contrary to the notion that yoga is a method to stop thought waves. 

Mindful yoga combines the physical practice of yoga with traditional mindfulness teachings of Buddhism. It increases self-awareness and attention to the present on and off the yoga mat. The application of mindfulness is possible in every form of yoga you practice. 

Foundations of Mindfulness

According to Buddha, there are four foundations of mindfulness. These foundations can be applied to yoga and its different asanas to convert it into an ultimate mindfulness practice. You can choose one of the foundations for any particular day or practice them in sequence. 

• Mindfulness of Body. It is the awareness of the body as a combination of different organs and parts. This mindfulness technique teaches us to see the body as different individual parts rather than as a whole. 
• Mindfulness of Feelings. In this mindfulness technique, we focus on bodily sensations and emotions. Feelings can also be further divided into pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. It teaches us to focus on our feelings as they are rather than being judgmental. 
• Mindfulness of Mind. It is not like thinking about the mind; instead, it refers to being more conscious and aware. It teaches us to focus on how thoughts arise and pass and understand that we are not our thoughts. 
• Mindfulness of Dharma. It is a Sanskrit word meaning “natural law” or the way things are. It teaches us to focus on the inter-existence of all things and the awareness that they are not permanent. 

Different Yoga Sequences for Mindfulness

• Savasana (Corpse Pose). It is of the four primary poses taught by the Buddha. Incorporate it at the start and end of your mindful yoga session. Lie supine with your feet and hands away from your body, palms facing up. Try to focus on your breath without any manipulation. Just simple breathing in and breathing out, nothing else. 
• Vrikshasana (Tree Pose). It is the classical balancing pose. It helps you focus your mind on finding balance. Start with standing on both feet with arms lying on the sides. Now use your hands to lift your right foot and place its sole on the inner side of the thigh. Bring your hand before your chest in a prayer position. Focus your mind on balance and maintain the pose while breathing in and out. 
• Tadasana (Mountain Pose). It is another standing yoga posture. Stand tall with hands lying on the side and palms facing forward. Ground your feet firmly and divide the weight equally between both feet. Focus on all the sensations and feelings while standing there. 
• Supta Baddha Konasana. It is an ideal yoga posture to end the session. While lying in Corpse Pose, bring your feet together and let your knees fall open. Arms should be lying by the side at an angle of 45° from the body. Start relaxing your face, shoulders, chest, hips, and feet. There can be a bit of physical discomfort in the groin and inner thighs. Bring your awareness inwards in the pose to be more mindful of the body. 

How To Start Yoga for Mindfulness?

With advancements in technology, meditation has become extremely easy. There are numerous mobile applications, online courses, and YouTube videos to practice mindful yoga without the guidance of a physical instructor. Yours App is one of the best mobile applications available for Apple and Android to practise yoga and mindfulness. 

Final Remarks

The aim of bringing yoga and mindfulness together is to promote awareness and prepare your body for meditation by using the physical poses of yoga. Combining both techniques is exceptionally beneficial for self-awareness, acceptance, and compassion for the self and others.