Hatha Yoga as moving meditation

Some call Hatha yoga a moving type of meditation. You may wonder if you have already achieved this state during a yoga class? With the utmost certainty, you have.
If you realise, in retrospect, after a yoga class that you didn’t think about all the things you need to do, what could transpire or reconsider past situations, then you were right in the HERE and NOW – and this is the entire foundation of meditation. So you have come closer to reaching the meditative state of yoga to find peace, calm and tranquility within your thoughts.

IN YOGA IT’S ALL ABOUT AWARENESS!

To perform asanas well and to be safely aligned, you will need to exert your full focus and be constantly attentive. If your mind wanders back and forth with daily tasks and happenings, you will miss a multitude of the benefits of a high-quality yoga class. You may also risk injury through this lack of attention. A high level of concentration is required,especially in the more restorative poses. You should stay continually focused on the feeling of the breath in your stomach so that you don’t lose your awareness.

What makes a good Hatha Yoga Session?

If you feel a heightened sense of happiness and calm after a session then you have achieved a good yoga class! In some instances we have all experienced joy and ease after a yoga class in which we were completely focused and present. For almost 90 minutes, you have only been thinking of what you have been doing in the present moment. This is meditation of the highest order and comes with time and continually being focused and mentally attentive throughout.
Here are four helpful ways to get into this state of tranquility and ease more often, and to deepen your Hatha Yoga practice:

Perfect the Posture

Listen carefully to your teacher’s instructions and perform each asana as accurately as you can today, taking into account your limitations. Respecting your limits involves a very close sense of how your inner body feels: do you feel the stretch, in the right places? Or is there a warning pain that you should consider? Is your body correctly aligned? Are you trying to expand your limitations without exceeding them?

Use Visualisations

For example, if you do a twist, think of your spine as a straight pillar of light. Every time you inhale, send the light up your spine, and every time you exhale, send the light back into the earth. With this powerful idea, you can breathe, concentrate and focus more on the position while your spine stretches to its maximum.

Breathing Consciously

Be aware of your breath as you move from one position to the next. The breath should flow effortlessly and evenly. With each exhale, you should relax body parts which don’t require the need for stability in the asana. This is a marked difference to ordinary sport. In normal sport we give the maximum what we are able to. In Hatha Yoga we extend and try to accomplish each asana, for the benefit of relaxation also. We call this keeping the integrity of an asana.

Close your Eyes more often

Closing your eyes supports visualisation of body awareness, and the focusing of your breath. Closing your eyes leads you, as if with a snap of your fingers, directly into your inner body and blocks out external distractions. This method we call pratyahara – pulling the focus away from the outer world into our inner world. On top of these, you could bring your inward gaze on your third eye chakra, and imagine to look over an endless horizon as over the sea or into the infinite space.

Let’s sum up

There is a lot to concentrate on during a Hatha Yoga practice. A high level of attention is rewarded with many benefits and leads to a more profound experience. Discover with Warrior Princess Yoga the highest qualities of Hatha Yoga and a path for continual advancement. Immerse yourself in your inner body and bring moving meditation to each of your Hatha Yoga classes.

Photo by Mo.