Listen to your body

We hear the phrase ‘Listen to your body’ a lot in class – but what do we really mean by it?

It can be as simple as taking a second just to scan through your body either while in a yoga pose or just sitting. Taking your time to notice what is going on.

What is the quality of your breath? Notice your inhalation, your exhalation and the spaces in between too. Can you breathe comfortably in your pose? Scan through your body, are there any areas of tension or tightness? How is your energy today? See what’s there and let it be.

Deepak Chopra gives these ideas for what you can do to start listening to your body:

Feel what you feel. Don’t talk yourself into denial.

Accept what you feel. Don’t judge what’s actually there.

Be open to your body. It’s always speaking. Be willing to listen.

Trust your body. Every cell is on your side, which means you have hundreds of billions of allies.

Value spontaneity. Emotions change, cells change, the brain changes. Don’t be the policeman who stops the river of change by blocking it with frozen, fixed beliefs.

Enjoy what your body wants to do. Bodies like to rest, but they also like to be active.

Sometimes it’s only when we get on our yoga mat that we take a moment to notice these things. So we invite you to take this into your day. Pay attention to your breath, your mind, and your body at times through the day too.

Health Boosting Yoga programme

Our Health Boosting Yoga programme is a chance to put this into practice in a very simple way. It includes 7 classes designed to support the major systems of your body such as your digestive and immune systems.

This was originally published 03-11-2014, updated on 20-03-2018 and posted by Urban Goddess on 14-6-2018.

Text and source: Ekhartyoga.com
Image: Urban Goddess/ Harold Pereira