YOGA ASANAS PRACTICE

Practice in a clean, quiet, well-ventilated, and peaceful space with a firm carpet or yoga mat.  Avoid temperature extremes, direct sun, and drafts.

Wear non-binding clothes; practice in bare feet. 

Have a light blanket to cover your body during relaxation; put on socks if needed for comfort.

Practice with an empty stomach and bladder.  Wait two hours after a light meal, or practice in the morning before breakfast.

Regular systematic practice is the most effective.  Look at your schedule to see what time of day is likely to work best every day so you can establish a habit.  If a particularly busy day makes it impossible to do the complete program, divide it, and do part at the beginning of the day and the rest at lunchtime, before dinner, or before bed.  Agree with yourself to do a short time every day – maybe 10 minutes as a start.  It’s more difficult to sabotage ourselves when we choose a brief period to begin with, and then do more as we are able.

Basic suggestions for each practice time:

Breathe evenly through the nose throughout the session.  Breathe through the mouth, and hold the breath, only if instructed to do so.

Begin (1-3 minutes) and end (5 -10 minutes) each session with SHAVASANA (corpse pose), and relaxation.  It prepares your body and mind for practice, and allows integration of body and mind following practice.

Pay attention to the sensations in your body to get better acquainted with it.  Energy follows thought; as you encourage your body toward gentle effort, direct the healing energy brought in on the breath to the places that feel tight or painful.  Know that toxins and tension are flowing out of the body with each exhalation.

Do not strain or force to reach or to hold a position.  Use gentle effort, and move with easy breathing.  Nurture feelings of lightness and elongation.  Find the place of ease in each pose, where you can stay comfortably and breathe smoothly even while you sense your body exerting effort.

Be aware of signals from your body that you are trying too hard, or may not be in correct alignment.  Distinguish between the sensations of effort/stretch and pain.  Don’t do pain.  Back off and adjust your position, finding the place of ease, or move to the next asana, or if needed, stop for awhile.  Honor the wisdom of your body!

Be present with yourself.  Put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door.  Turn off the radio, TV, and telephone; play unobtrusive music in the background only if it helps you keep your thoughts in the room, with the work you are doing with yourself.  For this brief time, leave every concern outside and focus on you.

Jane Silverman 2007