Yoga is more than just doing a sequence of body-bending poses to tone up. It’s a practice of cultivating awareness and oneness between the body and the mind, the physical and the non-physical.
Yoga for strength in mind and body
We often focus too much on the body and not enough on the mind. However, gaining physical strength can also strengthen the mind, as both are intertwined. In finding harmony between mind and body, we can then move forward to deeper spiritual pursuits.
It’s easy to see how yoga can strengthen the body. For example, the tree pose establishes strength and balance along your legs, while the triangle pose increases stability and lengthens your external oblique muscles. Want to focus on your back and legs? Try the Warrior I pose! Knowing which pose to try and why, helps bring understanding to your practice. The magic is in practicing the poses with intention and presence.
Practice with intention
How do you practice with intention? Declare it. Say what you intend to accomplish before you begin, whether it’s to relax, to relieve pain or to stretch your muscles. In this case, we want to practice for strength.
Setting intention is powerful. It’s being deliberate with your thoughts and choosing your point of focus. Would you rather live deliberately or by default? With intention, you direct your own path. In default mode, you are swayed left or right by whoever or whatever comes along. As you can see, this concept is useful on or off the yoga mat.
Another way to set intention is by using mantras. Rather than goal-oriented, mantras can be affirmations like “I am thankful for my health.” Another example is “I am at peace” or “I am strong.” This maintains the positive focus of your intention while also allowing you to be present.
Remember the point is to feel good. Why do we practice yoga for strength? To feel good. Why do we practice yoga for health? To feel good. Only set intentions and mantras that feel good to you.
Practice with presence and enhance concentration
Improving concentration is one method of strengthening your mind. This is also an effective way to be present or in the moment. Concentration simply means mental focus. Pranayama is a yoga exercise that focuses on breathing techniques, an effective way to boost mental focus. One of my favorite parts of Bikram is the standing deep pranayama in the beginning. It’s a breathing exercise that’s very simple yet challenging. It consists of repeated deep inhales and deep exhales. Starting with pranayama is a great way to pivot from the distractions of the day to full concentration into the upcoming poses of your yoga session.
Other benefits of Pranayama
Many yogis believe that pranayama is the key to good health because of its many benefits. Focusing on your breathing encourages you to remain present. Not only does pranayama focuses the mind, it also helps to relieve it from negative distractions and anxieties. Lastly, breathing exercises also increase your vitality by improving blood circulation and delivering oxygen throughout the body. Learn more about pranayama benefits here.
Try a Pranayama exercise for concentration
Here is a simple breathing exercise to try, called the Bellows breath:
- Find a comfortable place to sit. Sit up straight and relax your shoulders. Take a few deep, breaths in and out from your nose. Feel your belly expand as you breathe in.
- Begin bellows breathing by exhaling through your nose while making a hissing sound. Focus on exhaling through your nose as inhaling will come naturally.
- Remember to breathe in and out as deep as you can. Keep the rest of your body still.
- Continue for up to five minutes.
Be mindful during this breathing exercise. Try to be in-tune with your body as your breathe and observe how it makes you feel. Learn more about Bellows breath here.
Try the Warrior I pose for strengthening back and legs
- Step your left foot three feet in front of your right foot.
- Turn the toes of your right foot outward so they face the top corner of your mat and keep heel-to-heel alignment.
- On an exhale, bend your left knee, lowering your hips down.
- Raise your arms straight up from your shoulders, so your torso and arms form a straight line perpendicular to the ground.
- Hold this pose for 1 to 5 breaths.
Be consistent and deliberate
There are many variations of pranayama and asanas to strengthen your mind and body. Be consistent when practicing yoga for strength. Always set an intention and be present. In doing so, not only will strength come to you, it will come with ease.
Have you tried the Bellows breath technique or the Warrior I pose? Let me know what you think in the comments section below.