Mantra of the month
For some, the effects of the pandemic have left them feeling a little lost, or like they have lost a sense of purpose. When we are faced with difficult and challenging times it's very normal for uncomfortable and unsettling feelings and emotions to bubble to the surface. Anxiety is essentially trapped energy within the body that needs to be released in order to be free. Yin yoga and a meditation practice are the perfect tools to work with trapped energy and negativity, emotionally and physically.
Meditation allows us to, in stillness, sit back and watch the thoughts and feelings arise and with practice we are able to slowly begin to let the thoughts go rather than cling onto them for dear life. When we focus on negative thoughts that arise, they consume us and take us down a path of questioning, doubt and evaluation. But what if you could sit back and watch these thoughts, accept them, let them be and let them go?
It takes practice and patience but over time you will be able to observe rather than evaluate.
It's important that through difficult times in our lives we try our best to use this technique to process what is going on and try to look ahead and go forward with positivity rather than negativity. As Amit Ray said: “You are not your thoughts; you are the observer of your thoughts.”
If you are new to meditation and struggle to sit still and focus, Yin yoga is the perfect place to start as it's a pathway, a bridge, into our practice; surrendering into stillness first in the body and then in the mind.
Try this pose... Seated meditation
This pose is perfect to accompany your mantra. Finding a comfortable seat, try to commit to stillness, go inward and tune into the body.
Kirstie Bird is a yoga teacher and modern calligrapher (inkandflow.com). Find her on Instagram @inkandflowlondon
Om Magazine
First published in November 2009, OM Yoga magazine has become the most popular yoga title in the UK. Available from all major supermarkets, independents and newsstands across the UK. Also available on all digital platforms.
