BTL Welcome Mat
Advancing Your Practice with Confidence and Curiosity
“Practice and all is coming.” -K. Pattabhi
Whether you are a beginner or seasoned yogi, there is value in coming to the mat with curiosity. This week we were encouraged to cultivate the beginner’s mind, open to learning and using yoga as a doorway to explore movement and an union between your body and mind.
While practicing start to focus on your experience. Your warrior 2 is not going the instructor’s warrior 2 or those around you, because your body is different then all of those people! The practice is yourself, in your body.
How to Find “Your” Yoga Practice
1. Explore different types of yoga. There are many different types of yoga to explore levels of flexibility, strength, and balance. At Be the Love, through live classes and our recorded class library, we offer Vinyasa, Restorative, Yin, Yoga Nidra, Adaptive and more. Try them all to see what type or types are the right fit for you.
2. Try different instructors. Every teacher has a unique style and brings something special to the classes they teach. Some delve more into meditation, or go deeper into verbal cues while demonstrating poses. Find the ones that make you feel comfortable on the mat and give you the motivation you need to show up.
3. Reflect on your learning style. We all learn in different ways. Visual learners need to see the poses demonstrated in front of them. Others need verbal cues. Some need to feel it in their body to understand. Find your learning style and that will guide you to the right teachers and classes.
What About Virtual Yoga?
We have been practicing mostly virtually for the last year. There is no longer the social pressure of feeling like you have to keep up with your neighbor instead of taking a child’s pose or ending a class early. Rethink what practice is. Your edge can be just showing up on the mat instead of pushing yourself too far.
Here’s what some of our members say about virtual yoga:
- “I’ve learned visually by having my camera on and seeing my alignment. There is no social pressure to move into a pose that isn’t right for me in that moment.”
- “Yoga used to scare me…At home…I go more at my own pace and don’t tweak (my back).”
- “I love practicing at home. I am a lot less distracted by my neighbors.”
A yoga practice doesn’t have to be a 60-minute class. Here’s what Jenn and Julie do when they have 5 minutes.
- Jenn- Sun salutations or a 1 minute forearm plank, 1 minute baby cobra, and a 1 minute down dog
- Julie- Sun salutations, exercises to reduce eye strain, twists
