Mindfulness in Yoga ~ The Power of Slowing Down

As I drive through a forest, the trees blend into a blur of dark green. When I step out of

my car and venture onto a wooded path, however, I can fully appreciate the unique

qualities of each tree as it stretches skyward, competing with its neighbors for precious

sunlight. As I pause, my senses are bathed in an array of beautiful colors, strong,

earthy scents, and the sweet sounds of birds chirping over the soft hum of a gentle

breeze.

Slowing things down affords us more time to appreciate all that life has to offer. By

engaging our senses, we not only become present in the moment, but we can cherish

every moment.

Similarly, in yoga, slowing down the pace of our practice heightens our awareness of

what is occurring right now. What is always present in the moment is the breath. For

our yoga practice, we wish to settle into dirga pranyama, the complete three-part

breath. The breath becomes a gentle, yet deep strong wave, ebbing and flowing

throughout our body. Our goal is to deepen and slow the breath until each inhalation

reaches complete fullness and each exhalation releases into complete emptiness.

Once we establish dirga breath, we take the next step forward: connecting our

movements to the breath. Typically in yoga, we connect the inhalations to the opening

of the body and the exhalations to its closing down. In yoga, inhalations are generally

paired with opening movements, while exhalations accompany closing or folding

movements. This relationship makes practical sense. Opening the torso creates more

space for the downward excursion of the diaphragm, allowing for a deeper inhalation

and maximizing the delivery of oxygen to working muscles. Conversely, closing the

torso helps facilitate a fuller exhalation. From a spiritual perspective, we open the body

as we breathe in to receive the life force, or prana, that surrounds us, and we exhale to

rid negative energy, or apana.

Consider the Sun Breath as an example. We begin in tadasana, the mountain; energy

building from the ground up. With fingers spread wide apart we sweep the arms

overhead with a deep inhalation, stretching them away from the body like the warming

rays of the sun. With a long, slow exhalation, we release tension as we swan dive down

into a gentle forward fold. On the next inhalation, we root our feet firmly into the mat,

reawaken the body, and once again sweep the arms overhead to salute Surya, the sun

god and visible manifestation of the divine.

Slowing and deepening our yoga practice affords us more time to better observe what

is occurring in the physical body and our emotional reactions to it. We become mindful

of the moment. A mindfulness-based yoga practice engages the senses to gain

knowledge of both what lies both external to the body and within.

Along with the five senses that let us know what is happening in the external world,

there exists “internal” senses that relay signals to the brain, furnishing it with

information about what is occurring within the physical body. These internal senses

include pain, stretch, and proprioception, or the sense of where the body exists inspace.

These three internal senses provide further information to the brain, providing

additional sources for practicing mindfulness. Of course, we wish to be mindful of any

pain in order to eliminate it and prevent injury, thereby honoring body and mind.

Finally, the sense that lacks a definable scientific basis is insight. In yogic philosophy,

the ajna chakra or third eye governs the energy devoted to insight. Unlike our two eyes

that only see the external world, the third eye can peer inward. If developed and

carefully nurtured over time, this sense allows us to see deeply within to discover our

true relationship of the external world with the internal self. It allows us to assess our

true authenticity as we interact with the world around us.

In an exploration of mindfulness, it is best to consider each sense separately in the

context of our yoga practice.

Vision is often the most active of our senses. The eyes naturally dart from one object to

another. In yoga, we calm this tendency by establishing a drishti, a Sanskrit term

meaning “focused gaze.” A drishti is more than simply staring at a fixed point. It invites

deliberate observation; an exploration of the subtle qualities, textures, and

characteristics of what we are seeing. This focused attention quiets mental chatter and

promotes clarity.

Yoga is a breath-oriented practice. With the sense of hearing, we can appreciate the

tonal quality of the breath as it flows in and out of the nose. As the breath deepens, the

sound evolves into the peaceful sounds of ocean waves. Increasing the volume of the

sound with ujjayi breathing fills the mind with a sense of serenity.

Many other opportunities exist for being mindful of sounds. The use of music in a yoga

class or personal practice can promote meditative states. The emotional content of

music runs the gamut from joy to solemnity. Music that explores the intimate

interrelationship and tonal qualities of sound, such as the sweet sounds of Buddhist

prayer bowls, can be a wonderful object of one’s focus.

In many Eastern religions, meditative states are achieved through the repetition of

mantras. Mantras can also be sung to music, producing a vibratory energy with

frequencies that promote a calm mind.

As you are reading this article, take a moment and scan the body, observing what each

part of the body is touching or what is touching it. You may sense the feel of your feet

on the ground or maybe the sensation of your socks wrapping the feet and toes. You

might notice the touch of your pants on your legs or your shirt on your chest and arms.

Take your time and focus on one point of the body at a time. Mindfulness using the

sensation of touch is a powerful tool to achieve a single point of focus that exists in the

present moment.

Greater awareness is achieved by coupling the breath to these touch sensations.

Return to the above exercise. This time as you scan your body, breathe deeply into theawareness of each point and notice an intensification of the physical sensations as

your attention and breath unite.

The sense of smell may be activated by the fragrance of a candle, incense, or essential

oils. Taste, by contrast, tends to play a smaller role during yoga practice, though

mindful awareness of taste can still be experienced before and after practice.

Proprioception is an awareness of the position of the body in space. Proprioceptors are

organelles that are ubiquitous throughout the muscles, tendons and joints of the

musculoskeletal system that react to and send signals to the brain about changes in

body position. They possess complex mechanisms to sense the forces of gravity on

the body as it moves. To experience proprioception, close your eyes, and then inhale

deeply to raise your right arm out at shoulder height and then above your head.

Although you weren’t visualizing your arm, through your sense of proprioception you

know exactly where it is in space.

One of the many pleasures of life is a good, full body stretch, especially upon

awakening. Stretch receptors are a type of mechanoreceptor that respond to the

stretching or deformation of the tissue in which they are embedded.

Finally, the sense of insight is arguably the most important sense we possess. Single-

pointed focus on ideas, emotions and thoughts that are concerned with what you are

doing in the present moment have the power to inspire and motivate. Bring your hands

in anjali mudra onto the third eye. Anjali means “offering”. As you breathe deeply, offer

yourself a moment of acceptance and appreciation. Honor the unique person you are

and the journey that has brought you to this moment.

In the chakra system, energy ascends through six chakras before reaching the seventh,

the Sahasrara Chakra at the crown of the head, the energy center governing spirituality.

The sixth position of the third eye chakra just below the crown of head implies that self-

knowledge and wisdom are the final steps necessary to connect to one’s spirit. The

sense of insight lets us peer into and possibly create an intimate connection to the

inner self.

Appreciation of all of the senses, especially the sense of insight, requires that we slow

down. The mind needs time to process the sea of information flowing through our

sensory experience. The more time we afford ourselves, the greater our capacity to

form a meaningful connection with our true nature.

By slowing things down, we can not only better be in the moment, but also cherish

every moment. We take our time to assure that all the precious moments of life don’t

pass us by.