by Mariam Gates
That relationship between how your body feels and how you feel emotionally is the mind/body connection. It is that simple.
Being active in any way can help you release tension and feel more at ease. Have you ever noticed how after a game or even a walk home from school you are physically tired but mentally refreshed? When you’re moving, your heart pumps faster, circulating more blood and oxygen not just to the muscles, but to all the organs—including your brain. People take walks to clear their heads for exactly that reason. Moving your body can actually shift your mood.
Yoga adds another element. It is different from other forms of exercise in that it uses the relationship between your mind and your body to make it a mindfulness practice. In yoga you pay attention to what you are doing (the pose you are in) but also to how you are doing it (your focus and breathing and how your body feels right now in the pose). Your mind and body are working together for a specific purpose: being connected to the present moment.
For example, in basketball you practice to get better at passing and shooting in order to score points. That’s the goal. In yoga the goal is to feel your body and breath in this moment. The idea in yoga is not to improve your eye-hand coordination or to be able to beat the other team; it is to be here now.
Most of the time we are all trying to take whatever we are
doing to the next level. If you can do five pushups, you should try for seven; if you can read at an eighth-grade level, you should try for ninth. But when you are doing yoga, you are feeling what it is like to be in the pose instead of instantly moving on to the next one. Just as in other forms of mindfulness, you are being here now and paying attention to what is happening. Yoga is also a great physical exercise, but the way to get better at yoga is to get better at noticing what is happening in the moment.
This makes yoga a non-competitive activity. It doesn’t matter whether you can balance on one foot with the other extending straight up in Bird of Paradise, or perch on your knees in Crow. You are simply in this moment, in this pose, breathing in and breathing out. And if you do yoga with other people, it definitely does not matter whether they are more flexible than you are—or really what they are doing at all.
Try It
While you do this next sequence, practice matching each movement to an inhale or an exhale. This is a way to easily quiet a busy mind. This entire sequence can be done from the comfort of your chair when you want to quickly revive, relax, and feel present. (It is also a great study break.)
Sit up tall, press your sitting bones into the chair, and plant your feet on the rug. Press your chest forward and stretch through your back.
Now round your back, rolling your shoulders forward. (Repeat three times forward and back.)
Inhale and get long through your spine, then exhale with a twist to one side. Inhale back to the midpoint, get long, and exhale with a twist to the other side. (Repeat three times.)
Inhale again, and extend one arm high, stretching to the side. Exhale. Then switch sides. (Repeat three times, bending deeply on each side.)
Sit up tall again and then lift one knee. Round forward to bring your forehead toward your knee. Release and switch sides. (Repeat three times.)
Fall forward slowly and let your fingers touch the floor. If it is comfortable, release your neck and let your head dangle. Take three full breaths.
Alignment in the Poses
The Sanskrit word for a yoga pose is asana. The word is also translated to mean “position” or “manner of sitting.” The idea is that you are finding a relaxed “seat” in each of the poses. You are not actually sitting down in most poses, but finding your spot, your resting place, where you are comfortable. You want to look for a way to be firm but relaxed in each pose. That is yoga.
When you are in a pose, pay attention to the following things:
Outer Alignment: Where are your eyes, your hands, and your feet in the pose?
Inner Alignment: How is your effort, attention, and acceptance in the pose?
Eyes: Fix your eyes on one point to increase focus and help with balance.
Hands: Where do they belong in the pose? Are they pressing down or reaching high? If your hands are awake, chances are you are bringing that same energy into your whole body.
Feet: Where are your feet? Are you pressing your heels to the floor? Are you standing evenly on both soles? Your feet are often the roots in whatever pose you are doing. If they are solid, you will have a strong base in the pose.
Effort: Try to find the balance in each pose of using just the amount of effort needed—not too much and not too little. You want to show up and do your best, but also to let that be enough and not try to force or overdo anything in your practice.
Attention: If there is any goal in yoga it is to be right here in the pose—right here where life is happening. Bring your attention to whatever you are feeling in the pose, and stay in the moment.
Appreciation: When present in the moment, you can accept and even appreciate what is right here, right now. If you can touch your head to your knee, you appreciate that; if you can’t keep your balance in Airplane, you appreciate that too and are relaxed about it. As with all mindfulness practices, you do your best to stay open to whatever is happening in this moment without judging it.
Habits of the Mind in Yoga
You can easily fall into a negative mind (My body can’t do this), a stuck mind (I’ve never been athletic), or a busy mind (Where is my phone?) while in a yoga pose. There is pretty much a guarantee that your mind will move around quite a bit. Your job is to be in the pose, breathe, and just notice how it feels. Notice where your mind is going, and bring your attention back to your hands, to your feet, to where you are focusing your eyes, and to your breathing. As with all mindfulness practices, when you notice that your attention has wandered, bring it back to the present without making it a big deal. As we’ve seen, those thought patterns are part of having a human mind. These mindful movement practices help strengthen the parts of the brain that regulate your emotions and problem-solving skills. Your focused effort here keeps that reactive “lizard brain” from taking control now and in other situations in your life as well.
Try another exercise to feel the immediate connection between your mind and body. (This one is amazing.)
Try It
The Lemon Experiment
Here’s an exercise that lets you feel the immediate connection between your mind and body. It will require some active imagination. Sit comfortably and be sure you won’t be interrupted for the next sixty seconds.
Imagine that you are in your kitchen.
You go to the refrigerator and pull out a ripe, juicy, bright yellow lemon.
You bring it to a cutting board and get out a sharp knife.
You slice it in half—thunk—and immediately smell that strong, pungent, citrusy scent.
You cut it into quarters.
Take one quarter between your thumb and pointer finger.
Lift it to your mouth.
And take a big bite.
Notice: Did you at any point start to feel your mouth water with saliva, the way you would if you really bit into a lemon? Maybe it happened even before you put the imaginary lemon to your lips. Maybe you feel it right now. That is how powerful our mind/body connection is. Simply imagining the circumstances can create an actual physical response in your body.
Yoga Off the Mat
When you practice the balance of being firm but relaxed on your yoga mat, it becomes easier to do it off your mat as well. Yoga builds skills that you can use when you are in other situations that require your calm focus. You experiment with how much effort is necessary to be in the posture, where to be strong, and where to relax. Then you take that same attention and awareness, that mindfulness, into other situations. That is how the practice of yoga then t
ranslates into all areas of your life.
My feet are planted firmly on the ground.
My shoulders are back.
I am awake through my hands.
I am breathing slowly and evenly.
I am balanced, strong, and confident.
I can do this.
My feet are planted firmly on the ground.
My shoulders are back.
I am awake through my hands.
I am breathing slowly and evenly.
I am balanced, strong, and confident.
I can do this.
The Most Important Pose
Savasana, relaxation pose, may look as if you’re just lying there, but it is actually much more valuable. After moving through a series of poses, this specific rest period allows the body to return to a normal heart rate and body temperature. The stillness in this pose gives the body a chance to rejuvenate and restore its equilibrium. But for some people, being still for even five minutes of relaxation can feel impossible. Savasana is a great opportunity to learn how to go from doing to being. Often called the most difficult pose, it is also thought to be the most important.
Try It
Savasana
This is a great yoga pose to do anytime for relaxation and letting go.
The physical technique of the pose is simple:
Lie flat on your back.
If you’d like, try separating your feet and then turning your toes toward one another until they touch.
Hold there for one inhale and release on the exhale.
Keep your feet gently separated.
Relax your arms along your sides, palms facing up.
Close your eyes.
Then the hard part:
Relax your whole body and let everything become still.
Focus on your natural breathing.
Stay here for three to seven minutes.
Stay as long as it takes you to feel relaxed.
Safety Review
In yoga, you are always working on balancing effort and ease in every pose. If you don’t feel anything at all, you are not getting the benefits of being in the pose. But if you push too hard, you will feel strain and possibly injure yourself. Absolutely nothing in yoga should hurt. Find the balance. Listen to your own body and make decisions about what feels good to you. What matters is the attitude you bring to the pose, not how flexible you are or how strong you are or how anything you are.
Remember: Yoga is non-competitive; you are not pushing yourself to go more deeply into the pose. If you want to improve something, improve your level of focus.
When yoga starts I always feel kind of tired, like why am I doing this, but by the end it all comes together and my whole body feels better. I feel refreshed like I hit a restart button on all my muscles. I am relaxed, but I have more energy after yoga.
—Dylan, age 11
Doing yoga in my room calms me down and gets me to a place where I can figure things out. Even if a problem is not fixed, after yoga I feel like it will be. I feel more confident. When I am lying on the floor in Savasana I feel loose, calm, energized, and accomplished.
—Jasmine, age 14
YOGA TOOL KIT
Five-minute yoga flows for every moment of your day
Each of these sequences can be done on its own or combined to create a complete thirty-minute yoga workout. It’s best to do these on a yoga mat or a thick rug.
Try this first thing in the morning or any time you need it.
Breathe
Sit up comfortably on your knees.
Inhale as you lift your hands out to the side and up over your head.
Exhale and bring your hands back to your sides.
Repeat five times.
Child Pose
Press back and rest onto your heels.
Bring your head to the floor with your arms out in front of you.
Relax.
Inhale and exhale (five times).
Cat Tilt
Inhale and look up, dropping your stomach toward the ground and curving your spine.
Exhale and look toward your knees, arching your spine.
Repeat five times.
Table Top
Stay on your hands and knees.
Inhale and kick your right leg back and up behind you. Look up.
Exhale while bending your knee and bringing it gently toward your forehead. Touch your knee to your head if you can.
Repeat five times and then switch to the left leg.
Balancing Table Top
Rest on your hands and knees.
Extend your right arm forward and your left leg back.
Get long through your spine.
Hold for five breaths.
Switch sides: Extend your left arm forward and your right leg back.
Hold for five breaths.
Downward Dog
Press your palms down. Press your heels toward the floor. Lift your hips high.
Hold for five breaths.
Walk your feet up to your hands.
Bend your knees.
Roll up to standing.
Standing Mountain
Roll your shoulders back, lengthen your spine, and lift your heart.
Focus on one point in front of you.
Breathe.
Sun Breath
Inhale your hands out to the sides and up.
Exhale your hands back down.
Repeat five times.
Volcano
On tiptoes, inhale your hands over your head.
Reach high and balance.
Breathe. Hold for two breaths.
Extended Bend (Ski Jumper)
Bend your knees.
Extend your hands behind you, palms facing down.
Hold for five breaths.
Chair Pose
Keep your knees bent.
Extend your arms over your head.
Focus on one point.
Hold for five breaths.
Mountain Pose
Stand tall.
Press down through your feet and extend your spine.
Gently press palm to palm.
Repeat the Sun Breath through Mountain Pose sequence three times, taking just one breath per movement.
Mountain Pose
Stand tall and roll your shoulders back.
Press down through your feet and lengthen your spine.
Gently press palm to palm.
Downward Dog
Roll forward and walk your feet behind you. Press your palms down.
“Walk your dog”: Bend your knees and heels toward the floor side to side to loosen up through your legs.
Press your heels down toward the floor.
Hold for five breaths.
Forward Lunge
Bring your right foot forward into a lunge.
Balance with your back heel off the floor and extend your hands over your head.
Hold for five breaths.
Bring your right hand to the ground. (You can modify by bringing your back knee to the floor.) Raise your left hand high over your head.
Switch legs and repeat. Hold for five breaths.
Downward Dog
Hold for five breaths.
Warrior II
Raise your right foot high and bring it forward into a lunge.
Flatten your left foot on the floor behind you.
Bend your right knee.
Raise your arms up over your head and open wide to the sides.