The difference between a yoga class that goes through the motions and one that delivers transformational mind-body connection is embodiment.
The more you embody your trauma-informed yoga practice, the more you’ll learn about your body, your likes and dislikes, and what practices work best for you on your healing journey. I welcome you to read these three tips for a deeply embodied yoga practice.
What is Embodiment?
Embodiment falls under somatic therapy, or working with your mind and body connection. Yoga is an embodiment practice because of its unique focus on this connection. This source describes the positive effects an embodied yoga practice, and improves:
- Body connection
- Agency
- Self-care
- Experience and expression of desires
Yoga is much more than a physical practice, incorporating aspects of its philosophy to deepen transformation.
What Deepens Embodiment?
Your yoga teacher’s role in embodiment:
Your yoga teacher or studio has a profound impact on how much you attune to your body. This source explains that creating an inviting, welcoming atmosphere that honors all students (body shape, size, gender, disabilities, race, and more) makes a more positive embodiment experience. Trauma-informed yoga values this, as well as the other five pillars of a practice designed to create safety, trust and choice on your mat.
You cannot create an embodied practice if you don’t feel 100% comfortable on your mat. This is why many students feel most comfortable practicing at home. There are no hidden pressures, you’re in a familiar environment, and you can even be explorative without fear of judgement.
In person trauma-informed classes take extra care to remove any sense of judgment and create inviting environments, so it comes down to how you prefer to practice.
How you can promote Embodiment:
I welcome you to connect with your body to your level of comfort. It’s okay if it’s too much to notice internal sensations and you’d rather focus on your body’s connection with the earth. Or if breathwork isn’t for you, you’re welcome to skip it.
Even if you skip a technique, you’re still asking your body what it needs, and adjusting your practice to fit that need. That’s embodiment! I welcome you to learn three tips for a more transformative embodied yoga practice.
3 Tips for Your Most Embodied Yoga Practice
I welcome you to use these tips as inspiration or pull straight from the list. The way you choose to practice is the best way.
1. Begin With Noticing
Before you start your practice, I welcome you to simply notice. You’re not here to change anything to make it what you think it should be (unless you’re uncomfortable, then I invite you to adjust to a more comfortable position).
This technique closely aligns with principles of Apa Japa breathwork, but instead focuses on your body. Here are some questions you might explore if you are new to this:
- What is the temperature of your body? Are any parts colder or warmer?
- How is the energy in my body? (Are you fidgeting, still, energized.) I welcome you to keep this question more aimed at your physical sensations. If you feel comfortable, you might explore noticing your emotional state.
- Can you notice any points of tension? You might try a body scan starting form your feet and travel up to your head to see where you might be holding tension.
This settles you into your practice and brings your attention to your body.
2. As You Start Practicing, I Welcome You To Ask Questions & Explore
Instead of following the teacher pose-by-pose, I invite you to take time through each posture, asking yourself questions. Below are some examples based on three common poses in a yoga class:
Cat/Cow: How does it feel to have the tops of your feet flat to the mat in this pose? What if you curled your toes under? Which do you prefer? Instead of the traditional method of inhaling on cow, and exhaling on cat, what if you did the opposite? How does it feel to flow with your breath, or go at a slower/faster pace?
Mountain Pose: How does it feel to stand with your big toes touching, heels apart? What about if you stood with your feet hip width distance apart? What hand placement feels best here? (hands at prayer, on hips, by your sides with palms open or facing you, arms overhead)
Downward Facing Dog: How does it feel to have your feet at different widths? (Together, hip width distance, along the edges of your mat). What if you placed your hands on blocks? How would it feel to bend your knees more in this pose, or pedal your feet?
Asking questions puts you in the driver’s seat of your practice. You learn valuable information here. Many newer students turn away from yoga because there were no options for other poses, or you felt pressured to do the pose the teacher’s way. This is not how you discover embodiment. I recommend you first find the proper form cues given by the teacher, then make minor adjustments to find your version.
3. Journal
Once class is over, I invite you to journal your experiences. This is how you notice trends and can adjust your practice. Maybe you discover you dislike raising your arms overhead in poses, or you find inversions relaxing. You might notice poses you often skip or look forward to others. Below are a few prompts to guide you:
- What were my favorite three poses of class today? Why do I think so?
- What were my least favorite poses today? Why do I think so?
- What poses did I experiment with? Did I find any versions that felt better in my body?
- Did I find myself tuning into my body today or was I “somewhere else” for most of my practice. You’re welcome to rate this on a scale of 1-10.
- What words of kindness can I send myself for completing this class?
It’s important to not get too hyper-focused on how well you did in class. Every practice is a success. Some days you might be fully present, others you might find yourself running through to-do lists or reminiscing about your day. The goal isn’t to be perfect, or to always have an answer. What matters most here is you notice and reflect how your practice went, more than meeting a specific goal.
Overview
Deepening your embodied yoga practice is an amazing step to learning more about your inner landscape. Overtime, you become in tune with how certain people, events, or triggers can manifest in your body.
This is valuable information you can use in talk therapy, massage, or other formal or holistic healing avenues. Thank you for spending this time with me, and take good care.
