Take your personal practice to the next level

Use these five SIMPLE steps to deepen your experience of- and the rewards of - your yoga practice, on AND off the mat! Just "Ride the Wave".

In these dog days of summer, deepening your yoga practice might seem a bit more challenging. Advanced yoga, in my opinion, doesn't mean you need to be able to do complicated arm balances, a faster or longer (or hotter!) flow, or stand on your head: A practice that embraces the 8 Limbs of Yoga, that deepens one's meditation skills and a personal or spiritual connection is much more "advanced" to me than just the physical practice of asana and poses.

"Are these "feelings" connected with a certain intensity? location? texture? color? With specific memories, thoughts? Be playful and approach these feelings with a sense of curiosity, patience, and compassion. Remember your inner child."

When I took my initial yoga teacher training at Kripalu, I learned - and grew to appreciate - the technique, known by the acronym BRFWA (Breathe-Relax-Feel-Watch-Allow). I well remember the first time I was invited to "Ride the Wave", which elevated my practice from finding comfortable, safe asana and being busy focusing on my breathing, form, or physical sensations, into exploring the thoughts and feelings that arise at this moment....and this moment....and this moment....without judgment. Just watching. Just breathing. Just allowing. JUST BEING. It was a different experience from any class I had formerly participated in and has proven to be a very useful tool in my practice and my teaching. BRFWA outlines five SIMPLE steps to help you become present, to live in the moment, to be mindful...aspects that are necessary to develop not only a more powerful meditation practice but a much less stressed and anxious state of being. Just follow the steps below and watch your practice reach a whole 'nother level!

One. BREATHE

Just breathe! LOL, that might sound easy, but sometimes when tense, anxious, or upset it's not! Take the time to breathe consciously. You can use Dirgha (3-part) Yogic breath, Ujjayi breath, or just plain simple diaphragmatic breathing, allowing a nice, deep inhalation to reach the deepest levels of the diaphragm. Allow the inhalation to expand the ribs and abdomen (without bearing down - think wide ribs as opposed to a pot belly). Follow that with a long, slow exhalation that empties the lungs. Repeat several times. You will find that not only does the long, slow, deep breathing reduce the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) response (known as the "Fight or Flight" or Stress Response), but it also allows the physical body to integrate with the emotional body through the development of that consciousness.

Two. RELAX

I don't know about you, but if someone tells me to "just relax!", it doesn't help. at all. The key to learning to relax is to notice where you tend to hold tension. Using the technique of body scanning is really helpful, especially if you struggle at first with letting go, and it sometimes helps to actually TIGHTEN the tense area (for me it is often my jaw) and then RELEASE, and notice the sensation as the tension goes away. Go through the body systematically. Consciously. Soften the jaw, the neck, the belly, the buttocks, the pelvic floor, the hands, and the feet. We are trying to encourage the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), also known as the "rest and digest" system, to allow us to become less hypervigilant, and move into a more conscious, relaxed, and aware state of being.

Three. FEEL

Try to slow down now and notice how you FEEL - physically, energetically, and emotionally. You might notice the sensations in your physical body of stretch, of effort; take the time to breathe into those spaces. Notice in each moment what sensations arise. Just watching uncomfortable sensations or emotions, as opposed to reacting to them, allows them to ease. Suspend judgment, and approach those sensations and emotions with a sense of curiosity as you explore: notice where you sense them (or even if you can't sense them!) in specific areas. Are these "feelings" connected with a certain intensity? location? texture? color? With specific memories, thoughts? Be playful and approach these feelings with a sense of curiosity, patience, and compassion. Remember your inner child.

Four. WATCH

In this step, we engage "witness consciousness” or "the witness". If you have experienced the part of yourself that seems to be sitting back and just watching from a distance (a corner? your shoulder?) you have experienced your "witness". It is the part of ourselves that can watch and observe our experiences without judgment. Perhaps you ask questions instead of defining yourself or the experience a certain way, You might see it as participating as an observer instead of identifying with it. Watch these feelings, thoughts, emotions, and memories as they arise as if they were playing on a screen before you.

Five. ALLOW

In this fifth and final step, we are actively letting the experience unfold without trying to control it, letting it happen in its way, and letting go of expectations. Surrendering. Softening and going into the process as opposed to trying to hold on tight to control or resist. That might mean allowing emotions to move through you. In this way, we let go of resistance and learn to trust. We allow space for change. For transformation. For integration. For healing.

The next time you find yourself on your mat, or up against difficult emotions or experiences, try to remember BRFWA. Embark on your own healing journey. Then feel free to comment about your experience, below! Just ride that wave!

#Kripalu #Yogatherapy #BRFWA #Ridethewave #ahealingjourneyyoga #therapeuticmovement