admin Take a few moments to visualize all the clutter in your mind. Notice the size, shape, color, weight, texture, and location of the stress, worry, and clutter. Imagine carrying all of that with you for a minute, an hour, a day, a week, a year, a lifetime, or more.
Imagine the limits that this puts on your growth and ability to reach your goals.
Imagine all the clutter, stress, and worry leaving your mind. Imagine the space and strength that you will have to manifest everything you desire. Sorting out what to keep and what to let go is part of clearing the mind.
There is no way to speed up the process of achieving a unique and individual mind.
“The more I sit and wait the clearer it becomes for me.”– Venus Williams
Clearing your mind has many benefits
A strong, clear mind reduces anxiety, stress, and the need for external approval. A clear mind also increases self-awareness and discipline, as well as physical health, emotional stability, memory, and the ability to empathize with others.
What does all this have to do with yoga? Yoga helps to strengthen and clear your mind.
Asanas for a Clear Mind
Forward Bends and Inverted Asanas – By inverting your body, you can increase blood flow to the brain and oxygen levels. This promotes mental clarity and efficiency.
Yoga Balancing Poses- Balancing is a challenge for the body and mind to stay centered while the internal balance is being tested. To remain upright and avoid falling, the mind must clear excess clutter in order to focus on the balance pose.
Selected Yoga Poses- Seated Asanas calm and soothe the nervous systems. These poses, especially when combined with breathing exercises, reduce fatigue and restore mental clarity.
Pranayama to Clear the Mind
Nadi Shoddana Pranayama is a three-part breath control consisting of alternate nasal breathing. It can be practiced seated or lying down and for ten breath cycles.
Kapalabhati Pranayama- skull-shining breathing, cleansing technique. Builds heat in the body by inhaling briefly (short, passively) and then pulling the navel towards the spine to exhale sharply (fast, active).
Kapalabhati is performed in a comfortable chair with a straight spine. It should be practiced 3-4 times for 15-45 breaths per cycle.
Ujjayi Pranayama- victorious breath sounds similar to an ocean or Darth Vader. Each inhale is designed to encourage full lung expansion, while each exhale focuses primarily on the constricting of the back of your throat and slowly releasing the air from both nostrils. You can practice this throughout the Asana flow.
10-Minute Asana Flow to Clear Your Mind
This 10-minute, ten-step yoga practice includes a slow flow that focuses on breathing with movement. Skip Step 10 and concentrate on Ujjayi for 10 minutes if you are extremely tired.
Set your intention to let the breath flow.
You can use a word or a mantra. Inhale the word/mantra and exhale it into the space around you to create positive energy.
Sit comfortably with your knees below the hips.
This can be done with either criss-crossed legs, half lotus, or full lotus. As you sit, observe the first three to four breaths without judging them. Then, lift your right hand and do 6-7 rounds of Nadi Shoddana Pranayama.
Use Ujjayi pranayama to continue your practice.
For 5-6 breaths, slowly stand on your left leg. Bring the right leg up into Tree Pose. Close your eyes to increase the challenge of staying still and balancing.
Move the right leg slightly so that the ankle is lightly resting on the lower left thigh.
While doing this, lower your hips into Standing Figure 4 and hold it for 5-6 breaths. Then, move forward through Option A or B:
Use the triceps to support the right shin in Flying Pigeon Pose for 3-4 breaths.
B) Shift the right foot into the crook on the left hip to perform the Half Lotus Tree Pose.
5a. Option A: From the Flying Pigeon pose, maintain the arms in Chaturanga.
As the head tips slowly down and touches the floor, lift both legs into the Headstand (Sirsasana) for 3-4 deep breaths.
5b. Option B: From Half Lotus Tree Pose, move into Toe stand.
Toestand: From the Half-Lotus Tree pose, bend the supporting leg to the point where the hips are over the ankle of the left side. Do this for 3-4 deep breaths.
Option A: From Headstand to Mountain Pose
Slowly lower your body into Child’s Pose or Bakasana. Stay there for at least two slow and long breaths. Next, hop or step into Mountain Pose.
Option B: From Toestand Pose to Mountain Pose
Repeat Steps 3-7 to the other side.
From Chair to Mountain:
While holding Mountain Pose (Tadasana), slowly move into Chair Pose. (Utkatasana). Hold this pose for 2 to 3 breaths.
Boat Pose: Move to the bottom of the boat.
Continue to lower your hips and send them back in Chair Pose (Navasana). Do this for 2 or 3 breaths.
Release.
Savasana is the last but not least. Release your entire body onto the mat.
How can you de-stress your mind and practice pranayama? Share your thoughts with the community!
