How to become more aware

Over the past weeks I have been talking a lot about the importance of being more aware or conscious. Now I want to share an example or two of how you can do this.
 
I remember when I was taking my yoga teacher’s training with Dr. Bali, a true yogic guru, and he talked about the main purpose of yoga as being to increase your level of awareness.  This took me by surprise.  I knew that yoga had lots of benefits but I did not do yoga to increase my level of awareness.  I did it to feel calmer, more flexible and more in touch with my body and breath.  Okay so the last part is actually about awareness but I did not think of it in those terms.  It may not be your objective either but when yoga is done mindfully it is a great way to develop your mind, body, spirit awareness. 

So I invite you to take the time during your yoga practice to really feel the sensations in your muscles, feel the resistance that may arise in your mind when you do certain postures and notice the spiritual energy you may feel flowing through your body in the final relaxation.  These are all great examples of how you can heighten your levels of awareness through yoga.
 
Paying attention to your breathing is also key.  They say that the breath is the bridge between the mind and the body.  This is why your breath is such a powerful too.  Conscious breathing is one of the fastest ways to change your emotions, for example to shift from anxiety to a more relaxed state. 
 
The more you can practice activities like yoga, qigong and tai chi, in a mindful way, the better you will get at creating that gap, choosing your reactions and living more fully in present moment. 
 
Until next time, I encourage you to practice bringing more awareness or mindfulness into your yoga and all your other everyday activities.   

Jackie