Principle 3 - Listen to your Body
The first two principles of Yoga (Begin where you are and Breath with movement) naturally lead us to the next principle, Listen to your body. Start your practice with an understanding of how you are feeling at this moment. Move as your breath flows in and out and listen to your body.
The easiest way to become aware of the body is to ask yourself questions as you practice:
▪ How does my body feel as I exhale and relax into a pose?
▪ What is happening in my spine as I lengthen or move into a twisting pose?
▪ Am I experiencing any discomfort?
▪ How do my lungs feel as I take deep inhalations?
▪ Can I feel what is happening in my muscles, tendons and joints?
▪ Can I let go and let my body’s natural intelligence guide me?
The body has its own memory. As you continue to practice Yoga, the body will improve in strength, tone & flexibility in a relaxed and natural way. In her book “Awakening the Spine”; Vanda Scaravelli says this about the body: “The delight of the body’s unfolding is surprising. Even the pores of the skin, in their slow opening, seem to participate with the rest of the body.”
Keep your mind open and attentive and listen. Each time you practice will be different. Take poses only to that point where your body tells you it can go. Find a place of acceptance and work within it. Yoga is not a competitive sport. Whatever you can do is fine. In fact that’s what it’s all about.
The easiest way to become aware of the body is to ask yourself questions as you practice:
▪ How does my body feel as I exhale and relax into a pose?
▪ What is happening in my spine as I lengthen or move into a twisting pose?
▪ Am I experiencing any discomfort?
▪ How do my lungs feel as I take deep inhalations?
▪ Can I feel what is happening in my muscles, tendons and joints?
▪ Can I let go and let my body’s natural intelligence guide me?
The body has its own memory. As you continue to practice Yoga, the body will improve in strength, tone & flexibility in a relaxed and natural way. In her book “Awakening the Spine”; Vanda Scaravelli says this about the body: “The delight of the body’s unfolding is surprising. Even the pores of the skin, in their slow opening, seem to participate with the rest of the body.”
Keep your mind open and attentive and listen. Each time you practice will be different. Take poses only to that point where your body tells you it can go. Find a place of acceptance and work within it. Yoga is not a competitive sport. Whatever you can do is fine. In fact that’s what it’s all about.
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