Relax And Unwind With Deep Listening Yin Yoga

Deep listening is a favorite practice of mine to integrate into a Yin Yoga session. By listening deeply to our experience in each moment, we can find a more thorough connection with things just as they are.

Yin Yoga For Before Meditation - Deep Release For Long Sitting - Lower Body

This week's Yin Yoga class is for before your meditation practice. We will focus on the lower body, preparing you for meditation, or any other long-sitting practice. We can also use our Yin Yoga practice as a place to start building attention and mindfulness.

Yin Yoga for Qi Circulation: Full Body Yin Yoga Class To Circulate Your Subtle Energy

This week's Yin Yoga class is all about Qi Circulation. My targeting the energy channels of your body, you will free up blockages and stagnation. Qi is the vital force of the universe, and this class will help with it's circulation and distribution throughout your whole body!

The Curse of Routine: How to Embrace Beginner's Mind in Yoga and Meditation

In this video, titled "Escaping the Curse of Routine," I guide you through an exploration of how to infuse new life into your yoga and meditation practice. Drawing from the teachings of Zen Mind Beginner's Mind, we tackle the challenge of breaking free from monotonous routines that can stifle our progress. Join me as we uncover the subtle ways the "Curse of Routine" can impact our journey, and learn practical strategies to rekindle your practice's vitality and mindfulness. By embracing the concept of beginner's mind, you'll rediscover the art of approaching each moment with fresh curiosity, reawakening your connection to yoga and meditation.

Equanimity Yin Yoga: Embracing Calmness in Body and Mind - 35 Minute Yin Yoga Class

This week's Yin Yoga practice is all about embracing calmness in your body and mind. We will be further exploring the concept of equanimity and how you can apply it within your yin yoga practice. Through cultivating awareness of the body and calmness within your mind, this 35-minute yin yoga class will help you to feel revitalized and focused!

From Frustration to Freedom: The Art of Equanimity

Hello, in this week's video, we delve into the art of equanimity, teaching you how to find balance and presence through yoga and meditation. Equanimity is about embracing the three feeling tones of pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral without getting stuck in reactive patterns. It's not about dispassion; instead, it's about feeling more connected to every experience while letting go of unnecessary attachments and resistance. Join me on this transformative journey to apply equanimity in your yoga practice, allowing you to experience calm, clarity, and genuine presence in each moment. Subscribe for more insightful content and check out the links for guided meditation practices.

Fresh Eyes, Fresh Practice: Embrace the Beginner's Mind on Your Yoga Journey

When We First Start Out

In my blog post from a few weeks ago, I told the story of my first yoga class and the humbling experience of trying yoga for the first time.

I often think back to that time and recall the sense of wonder I once had at my newly started yoga practice.

Yoga and meditation were this magical new world, and I couldn't get enough of them.

Back then, I knew very little about the more profound parts of their philosophy, and my body and mind were not ready for the level of practice I was pushing them through.

But my curiosity was unshakable. I devoured dozens of books. I became obsessed with my practice.

This spark and curiosity led to me taking the practice seriously, and I made significant progress back then.

Why We Go Stale

Some 15 years later, I have a deeper connection with my practice. It's almost in my DNA.

But at the same time, it feels completely ordinary. It's a fixture of my daily life.

Because of this, It's easy for me to go through the motions (literally and figuratively). It's easy for me to 'phone in' my practice if I'm not careful.

And this ignorance of the mundane is the curse that happens when we stop practicing with a sense of Beginner's Mind.

Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki Roshi shares this core philosophy in his classic book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. (If you haven't read this, go get it right now! It's essential reading)

He summarized the concept like this:

"In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities, but in the expert's, there are few."

When we do something many times over the long term, we can lose our sense of interest in it. We stop looking at it with fresh eyes and instead fall into a certain sense of complacency.

But we can practice with the intention and philosophy of Beginner's Mind. In that case, it will open considerable doors in your practice. If you can carefully develop this skillfully, your practice will grow year after year.

It's easy to go on autopilot and miss the current experience.

When we are familiar with something, we tend to stop paying attention. 

When I was new to yoga, I remember how every pose was exciting. I felt every muscle in my body. I wanted to learn them all!

I never knew what to expect in practice, so I paid close attention to every detail.

When we know something well, it is easy to fall into boredom. We can move through our practice without a sense of interest. 

Effectively, we are fast-forwarding through the experience.

Tips For Cultivating a Beginner's Mind

Here are three tips for inviting a sense of Beginner's Mind into your practice, whether you are new or have been practicing for years.

1) Try to really feel the experience in each pose.

Notice ALL of the little details. What is the sensation under your feet? Where are your engaged, and where are you relaxed? Is your mind thinking of something else rather than being connected?

How are you relating to the pose at this moment? Are you present or distracted?

The more you invite a sense of interest, the more this sense of Beginner's Mind can naturally arise.

2) Imagine you were on vacation.

When we travel, we automatically fall into a sense of Beginner's Mind. This is because literally everything around us is new and different. 

This is why a week of travel feels like an epic journey, while a week at home can fly by seemingly instantly.

Even when you are not traveling, you can try to look around like you have never been to this place before. You can even imagine that your house is a vacation home. And that the class you are taking is with a completely new teacher.

This skill is vital for keeping a sense of Beginner's Mind alive.

If you spend time cultivating this quality, it will naturally translate into your Yoga and Meditation practice. 

3) Feel free to mix things up.

While I strongly advocate for simplicity and consistency in practice, it can also be great to try new things sometimes.

Try taking a class with a new teacher or at a new studio. 

If you only practice Yin Yoga, try a Flow class, or vice versa.

Try walking or laying down meditation if you usually have a sitting practice.

Any variable can mix up your practice and invite that beginner's quality. 

Conclusion

My first advice for any practitioner is to keep showing up day after day. Once that habit is established, maintaining a consistent sense of Beginner's Mind is the next most important step.

Never let your practice become stale. Keep learning and exploring.

There's no need to over-complicate this. If you really look at your experience, your curiosity will naturally blossom. 

And I promise that if you commit to this over the long term, it will be one of the most rewarding shifts on your yoga journey.

---

If you'd like to practice with me right now, check out one of the dozens of free classes on my YouTube.

For live classes, either in-person or online - see my latest class schedule here.

To make the most optimal progress in your practice, contact me to schedule a one-on-one session.

And if you haven't yet, subscribe to my newsletter for regular insights about practice and life -