At Live Love Flow, we practice yoga in a way that cultivates compassion. We are excited to share your personal journey as you incorporate yoga into a healthier, happier you. It can be extremely helpful for your practice if you know where to look for certain postures, to find opportunities for self-care and self-support.
Being kind to yourself and expressing self-care is evident in much of yoga practice. As it is a practice, it’s important to be gentle to yourself and approach your practice with self-love and deep care. Here are some of the ways that yoga can inspire self-care and inner kindness:
In Sukhasana, or the easy pose, you may want to ground your low body while still sitting tall and supporting length inj the upper body. This is the perfect pose to use for entry into breathwork or meditation. Connecting the thumb and ring fingers on each hand creates the Prithivi mudra, which promotes focus, balance and grounding. Here is a place of acceptance, gratitude and curiosity.
In Tadasana, or mountain pose, your practice calls you to get your mind moving. In Tadasana, building the pose from the ground upwards inspires you to breathe deeply and consider three specific things you are grateful for right now in your life. Notice how you feel while you hold these thoughts, and keep that feeling alive and present with you throughout the rest of your day.
Warrior poses help to build strength in the body and focus in the mind, tapping your inner power as your muscles assume the variations of the warrior. It is important to understand that, while self-care often feels very soft and light, it sometimes includes the ability to reach within to your source of strength; your inner warrior. Warrior poses honor your inner strength and courage, and help to show that self-care also includes strength and power.
Matsyasana, or fish pose, gives you the chance to work on a grounded back bend while opening the chest. Fish pose is a naturally vulnerable posture that invites you to look deeply within while assuring you of support and compassion. It moves to push and let go, activating the lower body and maintaining an openness to any shift that this posture may create or invite.
Supine poses literally force you to feel the support of the ground underneath you. Bringing the soles of the feet together for Supta Baddha Konasana, or reclined bound angle pose, helps you to focus on deep breathing to further calm your mind and body, gently opening the hips and placing the hands on the low belly. This is a wonderful place to practice breath work or meditation exercises.
The most important part of your practice is, of course, consistency. Your daily practice isn’t a daily practice without you showing up on the regular to participate. Once you get into the groove of it, your practice will be as automatic as brushing your teeth or taking your kids to school: it’s just what you do! How do you incorporate your practice into a busy schedule? How do you make time for self care? What does that look like for you? We’d love to hear from you!
