I’m so honored by, humbled, and proud of my yoga students.  I often find myself walking at the edge of the class, cuing, and watching in awe as they flow attentively and absorbedly.  Teaching to mixed levels is a challenge as a teacher because I have to talk a LOT more as I cue the various options to fit asana to individual, and one of the reasons I’m so glad to have trained with the YogaFit teacher training program is their essence of teaching is based on just that—fitting the pose to the body and breathing, listening, and feeling through the physical practice to draw on the insight of how that happens. 

Nothing makes me more proud as a yoga instructor than seeing mindful yogis practicing to their in-the-moment physical, emotional, and even spiritual state of being, taking care of their whole selves.  Self-care should be constantly considered during a practice with swadhyaya, or self-study.  That can include the YogaFit principles of breathing, listening, and feeling among other self-study tools, and through self-study, one can set self-care intentions based on the Yamas and Niyamas, or the Yoga code of ethics.

We might correlate “taking care of oneself” in yoga with ahimsa, or non-violence.  In a physical practice, this may manifest in taking various options (such as staying on the knees) of plank or Anjanayasana, shortening the lever in Virabhadrasana III by keeping hands at the heart, or moving to Balasana instead of Bakasana.  It might mean doing a restorative Lunar based class rather than a power Solar flow.  Motives for these forms of ahimsa could range from injury care or muscle mending to energy level, emotional stress, physical tension, or any citta vrtti (mind-chatter) one may be dealing with.

Another form of mindful self-care to consider in a yoga practice might be one’s acknowledgement of the need to develop tapas—discipline or austerity.  This could come in the form of holding through a long Utkatasana.  Tapas could also be demonstrated in control of the ego by releasing competition and practicing ahimsa, rather than holding through!  In this regard, self-care can be cultivated in the form of brahmacharya, or moderation.  Not to moderate the self-care, but in conscious choice to avoid asana excess.   

Saucha, or purity, can be drawn on in an asana practice to promote self-care.  “Hands-on” translations for saucha include evenness of mind, thoughts, speech and discrimination.  We can take these definitions into our practice in the context of breath.  As we practice, we use the focus of the breath (ujjayi) to help keep us aligned in the integrity of our postures, helping us to avoid straining or laziness in our practice.  We can think of the purity of the breath to keep us in a safe and beneficial balance.  If the purity of breath is lost in a flow or posture, we need to re-evaluate.

Basing your asana practice on self-study and self care will give you the most beneficial time on your mat.  The continual mindful practice of asana will develop ishvarapranidhana, or surrender—translated tangibly here as surrender to the present self in the present practice.  Not only will your body benefit from receiving just what it needs, but your mind and spirit will cultivate present awareness through your conscious practice and help you to take that off the mat into other areas of your life. 

How do you practice mindful self-care in asana?