Newsletter December 2024
Hello Reader
This December newsletter explores the role of mindfulness in yoga practice and the importance of developing mindfulness skills.
And in appreciation for all your hard work this year, bringing yoga to your local community, there's a Mandala Colouring Book for you to download as a Christmas gift. Feel free also to gift this to your students if you wish.
I look forward to seeing some of you at the next community Q&A get-together on Zoom next week where we'll talk about fun Christmas activities in yoga classes, and supporting the challenges many people have at this time of year. As well as the usual interesting mix of topics you bring up of course.
If I don't see you there, have a lovely Christmas break. As 2024 draws to a close, I wish you much joy and peace for 2025.
Keep scrolling for:
- Dates for your diary
- Article: Mindfulness in yoga practice
- Get your free MANDALA COLOURING BOOK
- Community news and yoga teacher Q&A dates
Dates for your diary -
- Friday 13th December at 1pm next Q&A Zoom meeting
- 19th December applications close for BWY Foundation Course Course information here
- Saturday 4th January at 10am-12 Asana Analysis workshop - exploring anatomy in practice (more info coming to your inbox soon)
Article:
The power of mindfulness in yoga practice
Mindfulness has always been an integral part of yoga practice and can be found in Patanjali's Yoga Sutra as smriti (awareness/mindfulness) and dharana (concentration/focus).
Mindfulness is a skill that can be practised on the yoga mat. Being mindful of our movements in asana helps us to cultivate the skills of awareness and focus.
Skills learnt on the mat can be applied in everyday life. Mindfulness helps us respond to challenges with greater clarity and calm.
Why practice mindfulness?
Mindfulness practice strengthens our ability to stay present, observing our thoughts and feelings without judgement. This ability helps us manage stress, enhance focus, and cultivate emotional resilience.
Mindfulness practice helps to balance the two sides of the brain. When dealing with everyday tasks and problem-solving we tend mainly to use the left hemisphere of the brain which can raise stress levels.
Mindfulness practice helps us to be less focal and bring back the function of the right hemisphere which deals more with the 'bigger picture'. This helps to bring balance and equanimity to our actions and thought processes.
As yoga teachers, mindfulness sharpens our ability to read the room, adapt our teaching to our students’ needs, and to remain calm when things don’t go as planned.
Developing mindfulness in a yoga class
Incorporating mindfulness into a class can begin with simple practices:
- Start with breath awareness: Begin every class with a few moments of focusing on the breath to anchor students in the present moment.
- Encourage sensory awareness: Guide students to notice sensations in their bodies as they move through asanas, and by so doing, developing a deeper connection to their practice.
- Pause and reflect: Include moments of stillness throughout each class to let students observe how their body feels after practices and how their mind responds.
- Use language carefully: Words like 'notice', 'observe', 'explore' or 'see what happens if you...' invite curiosity and non-judgement.
Practising mindfulness at home
Encouraging students (and yourself) to bring mindfulness into daily life can be a great support.
Mindful walking or mindful eating can be useful practices. Daily journaling can also help to reflect on levels of awareness and distraction during the day.
Mandala colouring can also be a useful, relaxing and enjoyable practice to do at home.
The benefits of mandala colouring
Mandala colouring is a creative way to develop mindfulness. The intricate designs encourage focus and interest, and the patterns help to engage the mind fully in the present moment.
Rather than facing a blank page, a pleasing design to colour provides a task that is accessible to most people.
This practice can:
- Reduce anxiety by calming the mind and shifting attention away from stressors.
- Promote a meditative state and develop concentration skills as you focus on choosing colours and staying within the lines.
- Spark creativity, offering a playful outlet for expression and balancing the two brain hemispheres.
Life is full of distractions, and meditation can be challenging for some, especially beginners to yoga.
Body movement on the mat, and colouring mandalas at home, make meditative practices more accessible, easy and enjoyable.
Practising mindfulness is a gift we can share with our students and a skill that will continually evolve with practice. Feel free to share this ebook with your students.
Get your Mandala Colouring Ebook gift here
Community news
The next three Zoom Q&A meetings are:
Friday 13th December 1-2pm
Saturday 11th January 10-11am
Friday 7th February 2-3.30pm
Log in to the community hub for further dates, to say you're coming, the Zoom link, and to get email reminders. Link from your Dashboard at www.yogauk.com
Find out more about the community here
Workshops
Make a note of Saturday 4th January in your diary for an Asana Analysis workshop - exploring functional anatomy in practice at 10am-12. More details coming soon.
This workshop will be discounted for community members.
Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to any yoga teacher friends or colleagues who might be interested in any of the content. They can sign up to receive newsletters to their own inbox at www.yogauk.com
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