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Dallas Hot Yoga, Pilates, Barre & Fitness

Dallas Hot Yoga, Pilates, Barre & Fitness

Ray Child Ray Child July 12, 2012

How to Really Advance Your Practice

Body, Hot Yoga, Yoga advance your practice, advanced postures, breathe, dallas hot yoga, focus 0 Comment

As yoga teachers, we sometimes hear students categorize themselves and others as “beginner” or “advanced.” It is interesting to hear people talk this way because they usually base the label on the number of classes attended, length of time they’ve practiced, or whether they can do certain postures. The fact is that everyone is advancing--it just looks different for each individual.

Everyone has room to advance their practice, and there are tons of ways to do it! Focus on small things like:

  • Maintaining steady, six-second inhales and exhales throughout class
  • Branching out into a new class series
  • Deepening one particular posture. Ask your teacher to help you with it! We love that :-)
  • Pushing yourself, within a safe range of motion for you, to deepen in a posture past your usual stopping point (like Half Moon)
  • Taking a private lesson
  • Using your exhales to soften and deepen into postures if you are less flexible

The above pointers focus on the physical part of yoga, but there are many other ways to deepen your practice by extending beyond the physical and working on a deeper mind & life focus. For example:

  • Come to class focused and listen with an open mind
  • Stay mentally engaged throughout class
  • Take a step back and nurture yourself when you need to
  • Focus on your own body for the entire class- really look at yourself in the mirror
  • Be completely still in Savasana; resist the urge to wipe sweat or adjust your clothing
  • Be still and return to your breath between postures
  • Set an intention at the beginning of your class and return to it throughout class
  • Attend a workshop or a special class
  • Take your yoga off the mat. Use your deep breathing when you are faced with stressful situations outside the studio

Remember that being able to do Standing Splits does not an advanced yogi make. Define your own version of “advanced” and keep working at deepening, strengthening, and improving. In life, and in yoga, there is always room to advance.



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