How to achieve balance and posture perfection using yoga?

For many ‘Yoga’ has now got synonymous with an Instagram picture of a perfectly balanced pose, that gets everybody wide eyed with astonishment. But, how to achieve balance and posture Perfection using yoga?

Although, Yoga is not limited to the perfection of poses, the perfectly mastered pose exudes the mastery of the sadhaka on his body, mind and breath. It proves that the sadhaka has been consistently practicing the Yoga poses with perseverance and concentration.

Many who start on the journey of the Yoga Asanas are striving to achieve that perfection and balance. They want to get there fast and post their pictures first! But Yoga is exactly opposite to the idea of speed. It is a slow unfolding practice.

The most beautiful things in nature unfold over a period of time and hence they are beautiful. Like a flower that blooms, a tree that grows, a cool breeze that turns into a monsoon and a child that grows! The beauty and the grandness will be lost if any of the above things manifest in a day or even in a week.

Similarly the perfection of the body unfolding into the most beautiful Yoga poses happens over time. There are a few tips that can aid you in this magnificent journey of your discovery through your body. How to achieve balance and posture perfection using yoga? Some tips—

Honouring the body and its limitations

Our body is in its current shape, form and strength due to our lifestyle over years. It has taken years to build our body the way it is today and it cannot change in a day or two. The nourishment that we will provide to it in terms of food, air, water and Yogasanas will transform it over a period of time. Do not feel ashamed, lack or guilt about your body and work on it with perseverance with your little deeds of nourishment every day. Perform the asanas as much as you can and to the extent possible at this stage.

Challenging the body only till it feels healthy

As you proceed with your practice of asanas on a regular basis, you will get bold and you will challenge yourself to achieve the intended perfection. No matter how bold you feel, do not try to reach the perfection too soon. Challenge your body a little every 2 weeks or so, go a little further than you can, bend a little more, twist a little more. But remember you are the best judge and best doctor of your body. Take up a challenge that feels healthy and energises you rather than drains you.

Breath control

Breath is the most important aspect of Yogic practice. Breath controls the life force energy that you circulate in your body. Wrong breathing can limit your pose. Always follow the breathing advice given along with the pose. A slow and rhythmic breathing will take you a long way in achieving perfect balance in the most difficult poses. Holding breaths incorrectly can hamper your flexibility. Breath control along with mind focus is the key to perfection.

Environment

The quality of air also determines the energy that you can use to move your body. Temperature of air determines how much you feel open and secured to open up fully.

Yoga should be practiced in a normal room temperature without A/C or fans. Make sure you open your windows for plenty of fresh air and sunlight. You will see a tremendous change in the flexibility of your body based on your environment.

Practicing the static pose

Once you have mastered the dynamic pose, move on to holding the pose static of a long periods of time. Every yoga pose’s final posture can be hold static for 2-3 minutes; slowly increasing the time as you deem fit. This helps loosen the joints, relax muscles, relax the mind and give in more into the pose. Another easiest way is to relax more and more every time you exhale in your static hold. Let go of the strings holding on to your muscles and get comfortable in the sweet pain of the stretch. Soon you will find that the pain disappears and you establish more into the pose.

Condition your mind before starting your practice.

Generally all yoga practices start with a prayer or Om chanting or what we call as mind conditioning. The conditioning simply means, letting go of all your thoughts, worries, tasks that might be in your mind and bringing your complete awareness inside your body and in the present moment. Setting the intention in the mind to have unwavering focus for the yoga practice that is about to start. Where your focus goes, energy flows. And so, you will perform much better poses than if you had your attention on your upcoming holiday!

Staying in sync with your body throughout the practice

Our minds are like monkeys wanting to jump from one topic to another. So even with your great intentions, you might go to your wonderland of how other people are performing or think about the work you have at home or a comment your friend made a while ago. Become aware of your thoughts and bring yourself back into your body.  Focus your attention at one point in front of you in case of balancing poses. Focus improves balance tremendously.

Feel the stretches in your muscle, listen to what your body is telling you and know what energises you. Notice the limitations and strength of your body. And as you notice more and more, you will develop a knowing about your body that will ultimately lead you to your mastery. Yoga is completely an inner work even though the benefits are reaped in the external world.

Enjoying the practice of Yogasanas

The most important factor in your yoga asana practice is to enjoy every moment of the practice. Find the joy that runs through your body as it opens and extends more and more. Feel the feelings that emerge through various poses. Observe as the drama of your mind unfolds through the movement of your body. Love yourself no matter the results and establish yourself in your inner world. Before you know it, you will be a master of your own perfection.

Now that you know how to achieve balance and posture perfection using yoga check out our special regular yoga class. Click here for details.

The post How to achieve balance and posture perfection using yoga? appeared first on The Yoga Institute Santacruz East Mumbai.