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"Quiet the mind and the soul will speak" - Ma Jaya Sati Bhavavati
It felt counterintuitive to me, when I first began practicing yoga, that I was directed to get QUIET in order to sort through my thoughts and tap into my instincts. Didn't I need to come to my mat with all of the things I needed to figure out in the forefront of my mind? How would I figure these life altering issues (I couldn't name one now a decade later haha!) out if my mind was blank and quiet? Wasn't my mat the space to think about all the things?!
It became apparent REALLY quickly that my practice wouldn't be sustainable if I used it as a brain dump session for my to do lists and things I was trying to figure out. With my mind going a mile a minute, my physical practice felt just as cluttered and frantic.
And so one day in a sweaty hot class, I just let go. Not because I wanted to, but out of necessity for no longer being able to keep up with the thoughts in my mind, I let go. Not even because I believed it would serve me and gave it a try, but because it showed up for me anyway, I let go.
And what happened next was magic. I found yoga.
When my mind got quiet, my intuition spoke to me clearer than I could have every imagined. I was no longer accessing multiple situations at once from every angle. I immediately had a new found confidence and trust in myself and my ability to navigate my decisions without worry and back and forth thoughts. I knew my truth.
Am I present like this each time step onto my mat now? NOPE! Not at all. It's not always easy (it mostly isn't!) and it sometimes takes work and a ton of focus to get QUIET. It does come more accessibly to me when my practice is regular, and when I truly listen to myself about the type of practice I'm currently craving (ex if I go to a powerful class when I'm craving yin, typically I'm not as grounded and present). The art of FINDING QUIET has become a practice in itself for me, one that I have come to love and appreciate so much.
I have noticed a few tools that help me to find quiet, and shhhhhhhh the thoughts in my head a bit when I practice and I wanted to share them with you :
- Focus on your breath. I talk about breath SO much when I teach and it's in large part for this reason. By setting the metronome, the rhythm of our practice from the beginning, we have a pace and a volume that we can access to get back to the present moment when our thoughts stray. Trying inhaling and exhaling to a 4 or 6 count rhythm. Before long, you'll find a pace that you naturally fall into when you step onto your mat.
- Come back to your intention. Are you dedicating your practice to someone or something? Are you practicing for something you're grateful for? If your thoughts drift, come back to your intention and let that be what grounds you.
- Repeat a mantra in your head. This can serve as your intention for your practice. It could be specific to what you're working through, or it could be as simple as "I am here".
- Pause. If you feel things starting to drift, pause for a moment or even sit hips to heels or in childs pose to come back to your quiet space and presence.
- Relax + Ground. Typically when my mind is going a mile a minute, it's during a busy time and when I'm rushing to my mat and beginning my practice immediately. Whether it's arriving to my yoga practice, getting ready to teach a class or getting ready to DJ a show - I know about myself that if I rush in immediately after being busy, my mind is going to be busy. If I can give myself 5 minutes or even a few breaths to GROUND at the start of my practice, my chances of having a present session on my mat are much greater. If you can, give yourself a few minutes or breaths in savasana or childs pose before you practice. Use this time to slow down your breath and relax your body.
- Go easy on yourself. There are definitely practices where my head is full of thoughts. Sometimes I'm able to find presence, sometimes I'm just not. And it's ok. Finding quiet is an ongoing and evolving PROCESS. It mostly doesn't happen overnight and it doesn't happen 100% of the time. Let it ebb and flow. Lightly have an awareness of getting present but be open to the times it just doesn't happen. At the end of THOSE practices (there will probably be many!), be sure to still thank yourself for getting to your mat and for something that wouldn't have happened if you didn't carve out the time.
Do you notice a difference when you are present in your practice? What are your favorite tools to get quiet?
