Mindful Yoga Exercises to Help You Stay Happy Through the Day

With the advent of technology, people have found that their daily tasks have become easier and faster. However, because of this, their expectations of getting more work done have also increased leading to problems like stress, hypertension, and in worse cases depression.

The good thing here is that more people are getting aware of this. Many people are now turning to stress-relieving activities like exercising and meditation. You will find more gyms and fitness centers near you that offer meditation and recreational classes. These classes help people to lead happier lives.

One such way to lead a fulfilling life is to practice mindful yoga.

In our previous blog, we discussed how mindfulness meditation can help you to reduce stress. In this blog, we will be looking at how you can implement mindfulness into your daily yoga practice.

How do mindfulness and yoga work together?

Remember how we said that mindfulness is the art of living the present while acknowledging the feelings, sensations, and emotions that are happening right at that moment? (Check out our previous blog to find out more on mindfulness meditation).

The point of mindfulness is concentrating on your present without being tied down by your past or present. This means that what activity you do, if you concentrate on that activity without getting distracted by other thoughts, surroundings, or people, then you are practicing a practical form of mindfulness.

And this same principle plays while doing mindful yoga.

Yoga in itself is a stress-relieving activity. Adding the practice of mindfulness to it is a way of healing your mind and trying to achieve happiness from the small events and acts happening around us.

Hence mindful yoga is a way of practicing yoga while being attentive to your body and how it feels while doing yoga.

With that said, here are some of the mindful yoga exercises that our gym and fitness partners think will help you to relax your mind and make you feel a little happier.

Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Stand with your feet at shoulder distance and stretch your hands up while joining them in a “Namaste” position.

Keep your hands stretched for 4-5 breaths before relaxing.

During these 4-5 breaths, concentrate on your breathing, feel the stretch of your hands and how it affects your torso. Acknowledge how every part of your body feels starting from your toes to up till the tip of your fingers above your head.

Mountain pose gives you time to understand your body a little more deeply.

Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

The Tree Pose or Vrikshasana can be considered a little complex variant of Mountain Pose.

Stretch your hands up and above your head in a “Namaste” position. Bring your left leg up and place it perpendicular to your right thigh.

Hold the pose for 3-5 breaths and then change the position of your legs to repeat it.

The pose is well-known to improve your balance and strength. Along with that, it also gives you enough time to be mindful of your posture, your breath, and your overall act of practicing the yoga pose.

Remember to focus on each of your breaths and movements. Acknowledge the pressure on your feet like you are looking at it from a third person’s point of view and do not get involved or react to the physical feelings and sensations you get while practicing yoga.

Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Downward dog is yet another good yoga pose to do while practicing mindfulness.

Stand with your feet separated to be parallel with your shoulders. Bend forward to touch the floor with your hands. Slowly, walk your hands ahead till your body forms a triangle shape with your hands on the ground, your head between your arms, and feet stretched to touch the ground completely.

If you can only touch the toes of your feet to the ground while practicing downward dog then it is okay. You will be able to do that with regular practice.

Hold the post for 5-10 breaths then slowly walk your hands back to your feet and stand up straight on your feet.

Again, as you are holding the pose, be aware of your breaths, the stretch in your arms, and your hamstrings.

Child’s pose (Balasana)

Many of you may remember Child’s pose as the resting exercise after a vigorous power yoga workout.

It is because of its ability to calm your heartbeat and make you feel relaxed.

Sit on your knees with your feet tucked under your hips. Bend forward to touch your forehead to the ground and your arms stretched out in front of you.

You can keep your palm flat on the surface for better comfort. Hold the post for 5-10 breaths before releasing it.

Focus your concentration on how the exercise makes you feel, the pressure on your stomach, your calf muscles, and your feet.

Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)

The happy baby pose is great to stretch your leg muscles and make them more flexible.

Lay on your back and pull your leg towards your chest. With your arms stretched up, hold your feet with your hands.

Hold the post for 5-10 and then release it. It works on your leg muscles, your abdomen, and your arm muscles.

Concentrate on your breathing while holding the pose. Acknowledge the physical sensations you feel in your leg muscles and arms, and the pressure your feel on your stomach.

Corpse Pose (Shavasana)

Shavasana or the Corpse Pose is an exercise that you do at the very end of any yoga routine. It brings your heartbeat back to normal and helps you to cool down after a long workout session.

It is also a great pose to practice mindfulness.

Lay on your back with your hands on your sides, a little away from your torso and feet apart parallel to your shoulder.

Breath slowly through your nose and release it through your mouth.

With each breath, assess how your body feels after the workout, does any of your body parts feel sore or painful? What kind of sounds do you hear around you? Is it a sweat drop rolling from your forehead?

Acknowledge all these experiences, savor them but do not react to them. That is how you can enjoy mindful yoga.

FAQs

How can I practice mindful yoga?

There are many gyms and yoga studios that are now offering mindful yoga sessions in their facilities. You can search for a similar yoga studio near you and join it. With the yoga teacher’s guidance, you will be able to practice mindful yoga more efficiently.

What are the 5 ways that you can practice Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is that of your senses, your feelings, your emotions, the events happening around you, and the work you are doing. When you are completely attentive to these 5 things as and when they are happening, you are practicing mindfulness.

Is yoga good for mindfulness?

Yes, yoga is the best exercise to practice mindfulness as both are practices that ultimately lead you to a healthier and happier life.

Conclusion

More and more fitness centers and yoga studios are now adding mindful yoga to their list of offerings for their members. In a stressful world like today, mindfulness yoga is a practice that helps you to see the brighter side of things.

If you are a fitness facility looking to add a new and advantageous form of exercise to your schedule then mindful yoga is the one for your members. Once you have the right staff and trainers to do it, you only need to add it to your gym management software to manage mindful yoga and other exercises without spending a lot of time and resources after it.

If you still haven’t got your hands on robust software, then start your free trial of the gym management software and start managing your new schedules along with the other aspects of your gym more efficiently.

Would you like to add a touch of mindfulness to your daily yoga session? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to check out our other blogs to find more content like this.