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OPEN MIND OPEN BODY Ideas for Your Yoga Practice |
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Eyes Closed
Close your eyes to open your other senses. This practice develops your ability to observe from within. Feel each pose more exquisitely, and refine your actions in each pose with your new-found sensitivity.
Teachers often emphasize the importance of drishti (gaze) in asana practice. You're told to gaze at your big toe, your right hand, or maybe a spot on the floor that's not moving (for balance). Keeping a specific drishti helps you focus on your breathing, your alignment, and what you feel in a pose. However, it's easy to depend too heavily on vision to keep you balanced and aligned in a pose, especially if you spend a lot of time observing your alignment in the mirror.
Another way to achieve focus in your practice is to close your eyes. Closing your eyes enhances physical sensation. With your eyes closed, you can feel your edge more clearly and the first sensations of an impending injury more quickly. You will also become more sensitive to the actions your body takes to balance or stay in an effortful pose. You will learn to be guided from within, rather than having to rely solely on the external feedback of the mirror or your teacher.
With the eyes closed, you may find yourself drawn into grounded, seated, relaxing poses. Experiment as well with standing and balancing poses, and with movement (like a sun salutation). It will heighten your awareness of the work required in these actions, allowing alignment to emerge from the necessity of balance and comfort.
If you have access to a full-length mirror, you can also compare your internal body awareness with your external body awareness. For examine, with eyes closed, enter triangle pose, and try to align the top arm straight to the ceiling, directly in line with the bottom the arm. Then open your eyes, and see if what feels "straight" looks straight. Over time, your internal awareness will become more sensitive and your inner-directed alignment more precise.
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