Most of the time, your mind works in an auto-pilot mode: you’re physically engaged in the task, but your mind wanders in different dimensions. A classic example of this is flipping through T.V. channels or scrolling on social media without paying much attention to the content.
Over time, these habits can reduce your attention span and lead to frequent distractions.
Being more mindful can help improve your focus and save time and energy. There are many practices to increase mindfulness, but today, we’ll explore how some yoga poses for beginners can help you achieve this. Swipe Up!
What Is Mindfulness?
The American Psychological Association describes mindfulness as the awareness of one’s moods and surroundings. Mindful people can better observe their emotions, thoughts, and present-moment experiences. Being more mindful decreases your automatic habits and allows you to make conscious decisions. Various breathing techniques and physical postures can help you anchor yourself to the present moment and be more mindful.
How Yoga Can Help Foster Mindfulness?
Yoga is not just a physical exercise. Proper yoga involves controlling your breathing, body posture, and thoughts. Thus, yoga practices lead to heightened awareness and help you stay focused.
One NCBI study has shown that mindfulness yoga programs are highly effective in enhancing the quality of life and reducing:
- Depression
- Self-esteem
Yoga Poses for Mindfulness (A Beginners’ Guide)
If you’re new to yoga and don’t know what are some easy poses that you can try, the following list will help you:
1. Tadasana (The Mountain Pose)
This is one of the easiest poses that you can begin with. Here’s how to do it:
- Stand firmly on the ground with your feet placed at shoulder length apart and arms at your sides.
- Raise your arms towards the sky and hold this pose. Hold for 10 seconds.
- Bring your arms down slowly and repeat 4-5 times.
How it Helps?
This pose helps cultivate a sense of stability, and your feet help you balance. Your muscles work together and draw your attention from the outside world to your body, aligning it to the present moment.
2. Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
Vrksasana, or the tree pose, is another standing yoga posture you can quickly master. Do it this way:
- Stand on the ground with feet slightly apart.
- Take a deep breath, raise your arms up above your head, and join your palms together like a praying position.
- Maintain balance, slowly lift your right foot, and place it on the inner thigh, just above the left knee.
- Maintain this position for 5-10 seconds, slowly release the pose, and repeat with the other foot.
How It Helps?
As the tree poses, help you ground your thoughts and improve your control over your body muscles. You become more aware and focused and have mental clarity in the process of this exercise.
3. Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II)
Virabhadrasana II trains you to have an unshakeable focus like that of a warrior. Here’s how you do it:
- Stand with your feet 2-3 feet apart comfortably, and your arms stretched out like wings parallel to the ground.
- Turn the right foot and face towards the right side while also bending the right knee. Hold this pose for 5-10 seconds.
- Slowly release the pose and go back to a normal standing position and repeat with the other foot this time.
How It Helps?
This yoga posture improves physical endurance and blood circulation. This enhances health and cognitive health, which boosts mental health, clarity, and mindfulness.
4. Savasana (Corpse Pose)
Learn to lie with tranquility and calm your overwhelmed mind with the simple savasana. Follow these steps:
- Lie down comfortably on your back with your legs straight and arms placed at your sides on the ground.
- Relax your body and take long, deep breaths.
- Close your eyes and pull your attention away from the outer world. Just focus on your breaths. You can do it for 5 minutes.
How It Helps?
Savasana helps cease the whirlwind of your mind and improves your body awareness. It encourages you to let go of the tension and anxiety and feel more calm, refreshed, and at peace.
Best Breathing Technique for Mindfulness (Do Anywhere)
Suppose you are feeling distracted and can’t do these poses. In such cases, you can do simple types of pranayama to regulate your breathing and reconnect with the present moment. Here are a few suggestions:
- Bhramari: In this pranayam, you sit comfortably and cover your eyes and ears with your palms. When you exhale through your nose, make a humming sound like that of a group of buzzing bees. This increases sound awareness and relaxes our fried nerves.
- Anulom vilom: Sit Comfortably on a chair or cross-legged on the floor. Close your right nostril with your right thumb, and with your middle finger and ring finger, close the left nostril. Breathe in from the left nostril, close it, and release breath via the right nostril. Now, breathe from the right nostril only. Then close it and exhale through your left nostril. Do 8-9 times to improve focus and concentration.
The Final Word
Lack of mindfulness and constant distraction is a real issue in today’s world. You can increase your mindfulness by doing yoga and pranayama.
Simple yoga poses that you can do are Tadasana, Vrksasana, Savasana, and Virabhadrasana II. If you can’t do yoga for some reason, you can do bhramari and anulom vilom breathing exercises to anchor yourself to the current moment and increase awareness.
