Presence > Postures
Mardy and Jeff’s musings on making the most of your practice…
Christopher, Mardy, and Jeff in Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee
We get it… The digital age is upon us and even our yoga practice is no longer safe from becoming a “metric” on our watches or phones. While there is nothing wrong with using data to stay curious about what’s going on with us- we encourage everyone to experience and explore that curiosity from within. Your body, your breath, and your intuition hold more answers than you may think!
Tuning IN was at the forefront of this past weekend’s Posture Clinic.
Imagine this: You’re having a great class. You feel strong. You feel grounded. You feel present. And then out of the corner of you eye you catch your device screen and suddenly your mind is a million miles away. “Did I respond to that email? Should I stop at HEB before I go home? Mmmm frozen pizza…” And then god-forbid you see that your heart rate is slightly lower than it was in Triangle yesterday and suddenly you aren’t working hard enough, or it’s not hot enough, or a thousand other things that take away from the fact that you were, ARE, having a great class. Mardy reminded us all in the clinic that “comparison is the thief of joy”, and that oftentimes it’s not even others that we are comparing ourselves to.
Breath and body-mind connection make it yoga.
Have you ever wondered what differentiates Yoga from other forms of exercise such as calisthenics or contortion or stretching? It’s the breath! When we combine intentional breathing, a specific sequence of postures, and mind-awareness (or watching the mind), we begin to practice yoga. The great news? That means you don’t have to do the splits in Standing Bow to practice Yoga! The challenging news? That means that oftentimes if our mind and breath aren’t with us, we may be missing out on the magic.
This is where “precision of intent” comes in to play. With a pure intention of getting to know yourself through your practice, you already hold the key. This intention of staying focused, staying present, staying aware, and staying inside of your own body will propel you far further in your practice than being overtly strong or bendy. Locking our knees is more about the focus, intention, persistence, and journey than it is about simply stacking our joints and using our muscles (although that has tremendous benefits too!).
A powerful take-away:
A PURE student who attended the posture clinic approached Mardy a couple of days later to share that she carried the concept of being present with her off of the mat. She attended a movie with her son without her watch and phone invited, and her son said: “Mom, you really watched the whole movie with me.” THESE are the most important gifts we receive from an intentional practice. The clarity to approach our lives in new and revolutionary ways.
Dig deeper with Mardy and Jeff during their next Posture Clinic on 7/15!
This 3 HOUR clinic will be our most thorough clinic of the year, as part of our Pure Yoga Institute Teacher Training! We will explore loftier concepts like the ones above, as well as the nitty gritty on alignment, postures, and the practice as a whole. This will be highly educational and inspiring, so we encourage you to get a “regular” class in before or afterword if you feel the need to.
