After a Practice: Staying Focused Helps Reducing Anxiety

Thank you so much for pausing your work and showing up on the mats for 60 minutes.

I try to introduce some challenging poses every time. I observe the overall audience to ensure poses are not too difficult, challenging but doable for everyone in the room.

The focus required to stay in a pose removes distraction from other thoughts. Remember the feeling when you are so focused on a book, playing with friends, or creating something, that you lose track of time? I encourage you to focus on your body while being in each pose.

When you are in a pose, here are 3 tips to focus your mind:

• Breath - See how your breath can enhance and change postures. The deeper and slower you breathe, the muscles soften and become more elastic.

• Sensation - Are you feeling pain or a sensation? If you are feeling pain, back off a little bit to adjust the pose.

• Alignment - Encourage your brain to signal your body. Are your fingertips stretched through? Are your joints properly bent or straightened?

Observe... focus... and be in the present moment. Staying focused helps to reduce anxiety and to ease stress.

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” -

Buddha