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OPEN MIND OPEN BODY Ideas for Your Yoga Practice |
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Relax, Receive, and Listen Deeply Yoga can be life-changing, and this is never more true than when you begin to explore the philosophy of yoga. One of the great challenges of learning yoga is simply being open to new ideas. I've discovered that I am most receptive to new ideas in restorative (supported) yoga poses. There is something about releasing in a supported pose that helps to relax our critical, ego-protecting defenses, and makes it easier to absorb new ideas. The following practice is based on the Buddhist tradition of a dharma talk (receiving the wisdom of a teacher), but adds the element of restorative yoga to help open the body and mind. The intention of this practice is to cultivate a relaxed, receptive physical and mental state to prepare you for deep listening and learning. The Practice: For this practice, you will need a few props for the restorative poses (blankets and pillows work great; even a chair or the wall will do), and some audiotapes/CDs or streaming internet audio to listen to. I have a list of recommendations for audiobooks at the end of this article; however, you can choose any audio content that intrigues you. Keep in mind that whatever you listen to in these restorative poses, you will truly absorb; be selective, and don't use this practice to catch up on the daily news! Choose a pose or series of poses (see below), and stay in each pose for at least 5 minutes. During this practice, listen to the audio content you have chosen. While you listen to the content, stay softly aware of your breathing and the comfort of your body. When you feel satisfied with this practice (or the tape runs out!), stay in savasana to fully absorb the practice. Finish with a seated meditation or breath awareness. The Poses: The most basic restorative poses require no special props. You can simply lie on your back, elevating your legs over a chair, sofa, or against the wall:
Other restorative poses can be quite elaborate, using blankets, straps, bolsters, and blocks. I particularly like restorative backbends (several options are described and shown here) for this practice. Backbends are literally heart-opening, and make us more receptive to the world around us (including new ideas). Backbends require us to let down our defenses; in a restorative backbend, this vulnerability is completely supported and easy to relax into. The Audio Content: My favorite author to listen to during a restorative 'Dharma Talk' is Pema Chodron. She has written many books about overcoming fear and cultivating compassion. Sounds True has a large catalog of audiobooks on yoga, meditation, philosophy, and spirituality. Audible sells downloadable audiobooks for your computer (and you can transfer them to an ipod). They carry several of Pema Chodron's books, as well as books by my favorite author, Natalie Goldberg, and great spiritual teachers, including the Dali Lama. And, if you happen to know me personally (as many newsletter subscribers do), feel free to ask to borrow some of my favorite audiobooks. Applications for Teachers: You can easily adapt this practice to the classroom by bringing in a favorite reading. Zen teacher Cheri Huber's books make for wonderful classroom readings, because her writing is so simple and direct. Guide your students into a restorative pose near the end of class, and take a minute or two to share your favorite quotes or stories with them. Then send them off into a blissful savasana! Return to Ideas for Your Yoga Practice
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