“Replace judgement with curiosity.”
– Lynn Nottage
Weekly Focus: Bhava (mindful intent)
Bhava is a mindful intention, literally translated as a feeling or attitude. In Yoga, it is felt that when we are conscious and aware of our state of mind and work consistently to maintain it’s balance, we slowly adjust our experiences on a more subtle level.
Bhava asks us to find an intentional and mindful attitude towards our practice and daily living. Here at Myriad Yoga, we just discussed bhava a few weeks back, but this week we relate Bhava to the action of self reflection. The goal is to approach self reflection with non-judgment and curiosity. It is easy to see self reflection as a chore we wish to avoid perhaps due to fear, denial, guilt or shame. However, what happens when we create an attitude of curiosity towards both our strengths and weaknesses? How can we approach self reflection as not only an opportunity to look for areas of improvement but also an opportunity to find gratitude for who we are? It is important that each time we prepare for self reflection we set the tone, giving mindful intention and guardrails for how we respond and react to what we find.
The more that we practice bhava, the more we notice mindful intention becoming a natural part of our day-to-day. If we consistently approach self reflection with an air of compassion, grace, loving kindness and curiosity, it becomes easier to to take on the task each time we prepare. Change begins to take over on a subtle level, and eventually we can disrupt the process of shame and guilt in our mindset.
Here is a simple practice in mindful intent:
- Approach life with a mantra — consider how you want to show up each day. Maybe you have a specific focus for the week, or even for the month. Choose one or two words that relate and build your mantra with an “I…” statement. Examples might be “I offer myself grace;” “I choose to release shame;” “I observe myself with loving kindness.”
- Start your day with intention — before leaving your bed, repeat your mantra to yourself 3 – 5 times, first thing upon waking. This will help to set the tone for the day.
- Reiterate — repeat your mantra throughout your day anytime you feel need. When work becomes overwhelming, when you feel yourself slipping into patterns of doubts, repeat your mantra 3 – 5 times.
- Keep it fresh — change your mantra daily, weekly or monthly as needed. You can even make specific mantras for important events in your life, when you need the reminder of how you desire to show up!
Passive Pose of the Week: Sukhasana (easy seat)
Sukhasana is often used to begin our practice. We sit in sukhasana to set the tone and to center. It is in this moment that we have the perfect opportunity to create intention or set bhava for our yoga practice to follow.
- Come to a cross-legged seat on the floor, this is sukhasana!
- Make the pose comfortable. First, you might sit up on a bolster or blanket.
- Second, you might sit agianst a wall to help hold up and support your spine.
- Third, you might place blocks beneath your knees if they are lifted up high to offer support to relax.
- Now place the hands anywhere it feels comfortale and close the eyes. Take 5 – 7 breaths.
Sukhasana is often the seat we find for meditation. One reason that we sit up on a prop in this pose is to adjust the angle of the hips and help the knees get lower towards the floor. Utilizing props as listed above is not intended to make the pose easier, but rather it is intended to help you relax the muscles and hold the pose longer. The common misconception is that we need to be in the most “advanced” version of the pose to find benefit; this simply is not true. To encourage more relaxation and increased flexibility, we need to be able to release tension. If we feel uncomfortable and tight in a pose, the body wants to grip and hold onto tension. Props offer a physical support that signals to the nervous system it is safe to relax. If you feel more relaxed, you may find it easier to sustain the position for longer. Additionally, you may remove any distractions of discomfort in the body so that you can more easily breathe, focus, and be intentional in your reflection.
Active Pose of the Week: Virabhadrasana I (Warrior 1)
Warrior I is a very intentional pose. This posture leads with one foot, looking forward, as if to say “I know why I am here, where I am going and I am ready.” This pose also signals the act of not turning away but kindly and gracefully looking straight ahead. We can see this as a metaphor for how we wish to engage with our own self reflection.
- Begin in a standing Mountain pose (tadasana).
- Step your left foot back about 2 – 3 feet. Lunge into your right knee while keeping the back heel pressing towards the ground.
- Reach your arms overhead so that they frame the face.
- Hold for 3 – 5 breaths and switch sides.
The position of the back knee may not be comfortable for every body in Warrior I. If you struggle with keeping your hips square in this position, try widening the stance of your feet. That means moving your right foot closer to the right edge, and your left foot closer to the left edge. See how that feels. Still not a fan? Try subbing in Crescent Warrior instead by lifting the back heel and pivoting the hips forward. You receive most of the same pose benefits in Crescent Warrior such as a strengthening and toning of the legs, spine, core and shoulders, as well as a sense of stability and power in the mind.
Join us in class this week to practice your self-reflection with bhava. See the full schedule HERE.
