As each an avid yoga practitioner and a loyal yoga teacher, I’m obsessed with movement and like to share the beloved practice of embodiment. Yet, if we don’t decelerate our practice, there are such a lot of other facets (philosophy, meditation, history) that will probably be missed during a our time on the mat.
Often, we discover ourselves so caught up in doing the practice quite than simply being in practice.
In my experience, it might probably be difficult to explore and honor the opposite elements once we treat our yoga practice as if it’s simply something wellness related to examine off our list. We may rush through the practice knowing it feels good but we also miss the sweet nectar of our experience if we don’t decelerate our yoga practice.
In this text, we’ll explore the way it’s easy to maneuver at warp-speed once we’re on the mat and 7 the reason why it’s best to tune-in, move intentionally, and decelerate your practice.
The Popularity of Yoga in Overdrive
Over the previous couple of a long time, the physical practice of yoga has gained popularity amongst health and wellness aficionados and thus, exploded into the mainstream of the westernized world. This explosion has, unfortunately, caused a little bit of an erosion with the best way we approach the practice.
Perhaps we squeeze in a 45-minute rigorous practice to make sure we got our “workout” in for the day. Perhaps we use our devices during class as a substitute of truly embracing the moment and being present.
It’s easy to miss the sweet nectar of our experience if we don’t decelerate our yoga practice.
Or, at worst, we injure ourselves because we force something to occur as a substitute of embracing patience and honing the talents vital to securely and methodically explore each pose. Remember, it is a healing practice and invites patience, compassion and non-attachment.
The reality is, there’s a lot to achieve from slowing down your practice and giving yourself the time and space to intentionally integrate the innumerable advantages that this practice provides.
Here Are 7 Reasons to Slow Down Your Practice:
Able to take your yoga practice to the following level? Slow it down! Attunement is a robust practice and you’ll be able to learn quite a bit by moving more slowly. Listed here are seven the reason why it’s best to decelerate your practice.
1. Move from Gross to Subtle
In yoga, there’s a long-held belief that we integrate ourselves as a complete, from skin to soul. Within the physical practice, we seek advice from this as moving from the macrocosm to the microcosm or just put, from the gross to the subtle.
Slowing down your practice helps hone that sense of deep seated awareness from the outer layers to the inner layers of your being.
Need to learn more concerning the many layers of our being? Read Learning Yoga Philosophy: All About Koshas, Our “Veils of Illusion”
2. Move With Intention and Precision
After we decelerate, it is far easier to maneuver with intention and precision. After we rush through something, we miss the chance to be super intentional and precise with our movements and our breath. Moving with intentionality only enhances your experience!
3. Maximize the Capability of Each Breath
It goes without saying that the more tuned in you’re to your breath, the stronger the connection to your body. Begin with just a few rounds of slow and mindful breath work and do your best to keep up that very same cadence throughout your practice.
Use These 4 Easy Breathwork Meditation Practices for a Calm Mind
4. Regulate Your Nervous System
If you decelerate your practice, you inevitably deepen your breath. A slower breath pattern stimulates your leisure response and reduces your stress response. You progress away from the fight, flight or freeze response and move towards rest and leisure.
5. Complement Your Practice
A lot of us enjoy physically difficult classes because we prefer to push ourselves and maximize our time on the mat. Slower practices like yin and restorative function complements to those fiery practices. When you love a sweaty power yoga class, try a Yin Yoga practice as a cool down. When you are a daily at Hot yogi, give Yoga Nidra a try!
Slow Down Your Practice with this Yoga Nidra Class
Yoga Class
With Yogi Bryan
This guided Yoga Nidra practice, on YA Classes, is deeply calming and great for when you must loosen up, while you’re feeling stressed, or anytime you wish quality y.o.u. time to decelerate and tune in. Yoga Nidra means ‘yogic sleep’ and a brief Yoga Nidra practice is similar to several hours of deep sleep! That’s what we call slowing down!
6. Construct Skill and Strength
Oftentimes, slowing down your practice can actually aid you hone in on what’s required to realize something with more skill and technique. When you’ve ever held Warrior II Pose for longer than just a few seconds, you’ll know that moving more slowly can even construct strength.
7. Improve Focus
Dharana, or single-pointed focus, is certainly one of the central tenets of yoga and refers back to the concentration of the mind. Slowing down helps us to give attention to our own humbling experience with a deeper state of awareness and clarity on how we feel in every moment!
These Yoga Poses Help Improve Concentration (Photo Tutorial)
Slow Your Flow
Hopefully this list inspires you to take refuge in your practice and revel in the advantages of slowing down. YouAligned founder, Ashton August, created an accessible and intentional Slow Mo Flow class on YA Classes, so be at liberty to examine it out and incorporate these lessons into your practice.
Slow Down Your Flow with Slow Mo Flow
Yoga Class
With Ashton August
Get grounded, focused, and present with this slow vinyasa flow class on YA Classes, featuring YouAligned founder Ashton August. Typically vinyasa flows are fast-paced, energetic movements, but on this class, we are going to decelerate by connecting to every move and being attentive to each a part of the posture.
As at all times, may or not it’s of profit.
And we would like to know: do any of those reasons motivate you to decelerate your yoga practice? Share with us within the comments, we love hearing from you!
0——0—————March 29, 2023