Focus the Mind

We will be drawing our attention to one point of awareness throughout our yoga practice.

Pratyahara

Drawing the senses inward with no external distractions. We will be deepening our practice using different techniques to bring one pointed awareness to our practice.

Dharana

Focused concentration. The tipping point of when you become engrossed in a single task the mind becomes still.

Dhyana

The mind and the object become one. When oil is poured from one vessel to another, the stream is not broken, just like the focus of the mind.
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Samadhi and Savasana

These theme will round out the rest of our yoga sessions this semester.

Movement Focus

The physical focus of our practice will be the core. Front, sides, back body and twists.
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Cloud Meditation

1. Sit down comfortably and allow your eyes to close gently. Your brain should know what your body is awake.
2. Take a few moments to notice your breath and any sensations happening in your body. Notice how your body feels where it touches the chair or floor.
3. Just continue to breathe and notice with curiosity – no need to control or fix anything. We’re just looking in at what’s happening today, and noticing.
4. Have you ever laid on the grass and watched clouds go by? This is what we’re going to try now, but we’re going to watch thoughts go by today, instead of clouds. Take some time here to let thoughts come into your mind. Is there anything that you’re excited about? Worried about? Happy about? Unsure about? Let a thought float around in your head like a cloud, just letting it be there.
5. As you watch these thoughts, as if they’re clouds, you might like to imagine that you are lying outside on grass, on a sunny day, watching these clouds. It might help you to notice the different shapes and colours of these clouds.
6. As you watch these thoughts, realise that they’re just thoughts. Just like clouds in the sky, they come in different shapes, sizes and colours, but they all pass by. As you watch, notice how they pass by.
7. If you notice that your mind has wandered, and feel that you’re inside of the cloud rather than watching it, congratulate yourself for realising this. This is brilliant for strengthening your attention muscles! Now go back to watching your thoughts from a distance, remembering that you are not your thoughts. They are just thoughts and float through your sky.
8. After a few moments, return your attention to your breathe and notice the sensations in your body. Now gently open your eyes and bring your attention back to the room, stretching if you wish.

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