Mindfulness yoga: arriving in the here and now with yoga

Mindfulness is a term that is becoming increasingly important. Everywhere it is emphasized how important it is to be mindful in order to reduce stress and enjoy life with all of your senses. But in the hectic pace of everyday life, it is often difficult to maintain this mindfulness.

Constant stress and inner tension make it difficult to incorporate mindfulness into everyday life. Inattentive people are usually head people who go over situations in their heads over and over again. As a result, they often miss what is really happening in life at that very moment. It is therefore important to learn how to deal with stress properly, because this is the only way you will learn to really let go and enjoy life. A regular yoga practice can work wonders here. Today's article is therefore about the connection between yoga and mindfulness.

Yoga and mindfulness: Why they go together perfectly

If you're thinking, "I already have so little time and now I have to do yoga too?!", then mindfulness yoga is perfect for you. Especially in your stressful life, you need moments when you can just switch off and relax. Yoga offers you such a moment and uses various techniques to help you develop mindfulness on all levels. The synchronization of breathing and movement will help you switch off and relax. Your body will move in harmony with your inner self and the stress will fall away from you. Through the individual movements, which are always practiced in coordination with your breathing, you will concentrate fully on your yoga class and be on the mat not only with your body but also with your mind.

Yoga and mindfulness could almost be seen as synonyms. However, yoga sees itself as a path of practice (sadhana), which means it offers you a wealth of exercises that help you train and continually refine your mindfulness.

How yoga supports you on your path to mindfulness

If you already do yoga, you know that it is almost a form of meditation in itself. There are certain sequences, such as the sun salutation, that are repeated over and over again. Care is always taken to synchronize them with the breath. Very similar to meditation, but with movement. Most of the time we don't even notice how our thoughts are interrupted and we only concentrate on our breath and our movement. This means that we automatically arrive in the here and now and with ourselves. This is already the first step towards mindfulness. In mindfulness yoga, it is therefore not so much about how perfectly you perform the exercises. It is more about seeing how we feel in the pose. Our own body perception therefore plays a major role. Even a few minutes on the mat are therefore not only good for your body, but especially for your stressed mind. The goal is to allow emotional and cognitive processes to calm down. Your fitness is almost secondary.

This is what mindfulness yoga looks like on the mat

Every yoga class begins with a five to ten minute relaxation phase. The aim here is to arrive fully on the mat and in the here and now. Then the asanas (exercises) begin. Each exercise is repeated three times. In the individual positions, it is now all about concentrating on a certain part of the body and directing your attention only there. Concentrating on this part of the body should help you calm your mind - similar to breathing in meditation. Before you go deeper into a position, keep looking inside yourself and listen to your body to see if it is ready to go deeper. After each exercise phase, there is a relaxation phase. This is about as long as the exercise sequence practiced. Pay particular attention to how your body feels after the exercise sequence. Then observe your breathing. The class ends with a final relaxation.

Three yoga exercises that calm the mind, relax you and train your attention

There are thousands of yoga exercises that you can practice. But maybe you're one of those people who are happy if they can get on the mat for 10 minutes every day. So I'd like to introduce you to three exercises that are designed to calm the mind, relax you, and train your attention. If you practice these exercises in the morning, they prepare you perfectly for the day; in the evening, they calm your mind for the night. All of these yoga exercises begin with a breathing exercise, for which you sit cross-legged on your mat. Let your breath flow. With each inhalation, you'll notice fresh oxygen flowing through your nose. Imagine that with each breath you're filling up with fresh energy and letting go of old, used up energy as you exhale. Do this little meditation for about five minutes before you start the yoga exercises.

• Child's Pose - Next to downward dog, this is probably the most well-known pose. It is particularly suitable if you are feeling restless or can't sleep. It also relaxes the nerves, reduces stress and calms your mind.

Kneel on your yoga mat with your bottom resting on your heels. Now place your upper body on your thighs and let your forehead touch the floor. You can either let your arms rest loosely next to your body with your palms facing down, or you can stretch them out in front of you with your palms facing down. In this position, concentrate exclusively on your breathing and feel how your body relaxes more and more.

• The Warrior - Let this pose help you mentally prepare for the day. After all, a warrior is brave and strong, exactly the qualities we often need in everyday life.

Take a lunge forward with your right leg and bend your front knee. The position of your knee is important: it should be directly over your ankle. The back foot is at a 45 degree angle, your weight should rest on the outer edge of your back foot. Now raise your arms up parallel to each other, with the palms of your hands facing each other. Pay particular attention to your shoulders in this pose. You should not pull them up. In this pose, feel deeply inside yourself. Do you feel strong, like a warrior? Are you ready for the day?

• The tree - Nothing knocks the tree over so easily. It is rooted in the ground and therefore stable. That is exactly what we want for our everyday lives. We want to stand firmly with both feet on the ground and be in the here and now.

Stand with both feet firmly on the mat, your feet digging into the ground and your arms hanging at your sides. Now lift your left leg while opening your left hip and left thigh. The sole of your left foot should now rest on the inside of your right leg and your knee should be facing away from you at a 90-degree angle. Now bring your hands together in front of your chest and breathe in and out deeply. Look steadily forward. Focus on one point. Hold this pose for several breaths. Feel how your feet dig into the ground or how you sway slightly from right to left to maintain your balance.