Yoga - Few ways to deepen the experience

Yoga has become a movement; according to some statistics shared here, about 10% of US population practice Yoga. However, most of these practices remain limited to Yoga Asanas and the experience of the practitioners remain at a very surface level.

While you can get huge benefits by treating Yoga as an exercise similar to pilate, stretching or other physical exercises, there are ways to deepen your experience by using small tricks that will go a long way.

I will share a few here that I use in my daily practice that has helped me experience Yoga in my core. I also teach there in my Yoga classes and hope that it has helped my students touch the essence of Yoga which is why they keep coming back.

Match the body's movement with breath while doing Yoga

• Breath is the only connection between our physical body and the non-physical mind, the source of all energy. When breath matches the movement of the body, something extra ordinary happens in the mind. It slows down and comes to the current moment. This is called "Triputi", i.e. "knowledge of three" and, in this case, refers to practices that unify body, breath, and mind.

Practice slow, spending a few breaths in each pose

• Slowing down the Yoga practice helps the mind to be a little more quiet and brings the focus on those parts of the body that play a role in holding the pose. When you hold it for a little longer while paying attention to the breath, you start to notice how the breath changes with every passing moment and how that change impacts the muscles, joints and senses within the body.

Close your eyes to reduce the sense engagement from the external world

• Our eyes contribute > 50% (~60%) to our sensory input. So, it can easily distract the mind and bring one out of the inner focus that Yoga brings with the asana and breath practice. Closing the eyes remove this outward focus and brings that energy inwards. Having said that, we dream when the eyes are closed, and our mind's eye can take us to many different locations farthest away from each other at the same time. So, the mind needs to be relatively calm before you start practicing this tip.

• This one is hard if you are a beginner. So, practice this carefully; maybe start with just doing this for one or two breaths during the pose or only practicing it when you are comfortable with your balance.

Finally, focus on the chakras with every breath and scan it from top to bottom and back

• There are 7 chakras in the body that align with the critical endocrine glands and the nerve plexuses. Bringing your attention to these chakras, increase the amount of blood flow and oxygen to these areas in the body and therefore helps with any micro-inflammation or other issues locally happening to those spaces within the body.

By no means, this is an exhaustive list. So, please share if you have a few that helps deepen your practice. May you deepen your Yoga experience with this small list and make it your own !!