Taming the mind - realising our potential

The human mind is a wanderer in the past, and a dreamer in the future. These are where it journey's in our own imagination.

For some of us, mind dances endlessly — leaping from thought to thought, story to story — gathering speed as it goes, until we find ourselves tied in invisible knots, with furrowed brows, and believing things that are not real.

Yoga has been a gentle teacher over my years of practice. Not to silence the mind as some of the books may lead us to believe, but to soften the noisy dance, to bring in grace, remembering mind as the extraordinary tool it is. A place of wisdom, memory, imagination, and deep awareness. Through practice, the mind can begin to support our lives, rather than pull us away from it.

To help us realise our human potential. For our unique and collective self-awareness.

Yoga offers us this returning, through movement and stillness, through breath and sensation, we invite the body to become an anchor for the mind. You see body exists only in the here and now, and all of it functions can only in the present.

So this week’s invitation is a simple breath meditation.

Find a comfortable seat somewhere quiet, where you can be undisturbed for a few moments preferably outside, though this is a little more advanced than a quiet room. So go where you can practice well.

Allow yourself to settle into this space, into the shape your physical and energetic body takes up rght here right now  Notice how this feels in the present moment. No stories just feel it.

Bring your awareness to the gentle passing of the breath through the nostrils.The coolness of the inhale.The softness of the exhale.The quiet rhythm of coming and going, too-ing a fro-ing of the wave of breath as they roll over your shore.  Just like the gentle waves of the ocean lapping on the sands. Breathing in and breathing out, and notice the feeling.

Slowly, without force, begin to invite a little more length into the out-breath. Relax the face.Soften the tongue.With each exhale, invite the body to release its holding patterns a little more. More and more letting go on each exhale.

And when the mind wanders, as mind naturally does, simply notice where it goes, with no judgement see what is on your mind, smile (literally turn the corners of your mouth up), and gently guide your attention back to the coming and going of breath.

Again and again.Without commentary.Without needing to get it “right.” It already is exactly as it needs to be in the present moment, all you need to do is notice, become aware of the breath as she comes and goes. With the extraordinary dance of lifeforce, in and out on the breath waves.

Whether you are distracted by a thought, a sound, or a sensation, each returning is part of the practice. It matters not how many times in this short practice you need to gently return the awareness back to the breath with a smile, each time a smile and a return to practice with the breath.

And as you soften as you release more, begin to notice the turning of the breath:from out to in, from in to out.

Allowing your awareness to fully be in this moment. with all its comings and goings, retaining’s and resting’s.

When you are ready and you bring your practice to a close, take a quiet moment to acknowledge yourself, for choosing to pause, to be present as your magnificent body breathes, as you embarked on the gentle art of bringing the mind back home to rest as the body's breath becomes its earthly anchor.

Hari Om Tat Sat