“Use your conciousness to imagine, to feel, to live… not to rewind, not to regret.” – Nitin Namdeo
Weekly Focus: Citta (conciousness)
Citta is our consciousness, all that is perceived and all that can be perceived. Consciousness is a main component in our experience of life. Without consciousness, we hold no experience at all.
Arguably, consciousness may be the component that allows all other pieces of our composition and makeup to exist. That’s getting really heady though.
Consciousness is an essential key to our human experience. In fact, a goal of Yoga is to realize that our consciousness is separate from the body we call home, that we are greater than these tangible experiences. It’s an interesting entanglement to be altogether aware of, integrated with, and separated from our lived experience. Recognizing and accepting our consciousness is integral however in our self-realization.
So what is consciousness? This is our ability to perceive all things — that which we already have perceived and that which we have yet to perceive or could possibly perceive. This is the awareness of our human existence, awareness of our experiences, relationships, and more! So the question remains, without consciousness, what are you even composed of? There may be a physical space, but are you really you? Without Self, how do you exist?
Our consciousness helps us to appreciate and be in our lived experience. What a beautiful gift, to have the understanding that we are here, that we have choice, agency, and recognition in the life we are living. How will you use that gift?
Passive Pose of the Week: Sukhasana (easy seat)
Sukhasana is a reflective seat, often used in meditation. This is a place to center, and to become aware of the spaces within us, rather than simply observing our exterior.
- Begin sitting on the floor with the legs straight out in front of you.
- Cross the legs, with one foot infront of the other.
- Allow the hands to rest in a comfortable position in the lap, on the knees, wherever you like.
- Hold for 5 – 7 breaths or more! If you like, switch the cross of the legs and hold for a few more rounds of breath.
This is a position where we are often told to stack the shoulders over the hips and sit up straight. That can be an uncomfortable or challenging position to hold for extended amounts of time, if we are not used to it. You might try a few prop additions or variations to allow yourself to sit more comfortably. A blanket or bolster under the hips is always a great place to start. However, if you make this choice, remember to sit at the edge of the blanket or bolster, to help facilitate more tilt in the pelvis and drop in the hips. Another nice option is to sit with a wall behind you, supporting you as the back of a chair might. Wherever you land, remember that there is not requirement to sit perfectly still. Allow yourself to shift as needed to find more comfort in the pose and move the focus from the sensations of the body to the depths inside of yourself.
Active Pose of the Week: Baddha Virabhadrasana (humble warrior)
Baddha Virabhadrasana is a humbling pose. We bow forward, which might make us feel a sense of disconnecting from the foundation of the pose or the body. This challenging pose invites us to focus on an internal energy of pulling in, a metaphor to focusing on spaces deep within us.
- Begin in a standing Mountain pose (tadasana).
- Step your left foot back so that you are in a standing lunge.
- Bring the hands behind your body and interlace the fingers, extend the arms straight.
- Fold foward inside of the front leg. Lift the arms up off of the low back to any degree.
- Remember to breathe! Hold for 3 – 5 breaths and switch sides.
The position that you choose for your legs and feet in this challenging lunge can make a large difference in how the pose feels. A Crescent Warrior stance, with the hips square and the back heel lifted will be the most challenging for balance. Pivoting the back heel down and stepping the foot a little wide, like Warior 1, will be more grounded and help you steady the pose. Turn the back toes our and opening the hips, like Warrior 2 will change the sensations you might feel in the hips and groin. Try them all out. Which do you enjoy in your body? If it’s all three, then great! You have options to choose from each time you enter the pose.
Join us in class this week to practice your conscious self-reflection. See the full schedule HERE.
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