“The pose begins when you want to leave it.” – Unknown

This quote, perhaps more than others, helps me to redirect my mind during my practice of yoga. When I wish to leave the pose, or move on, this is the moment to stay. Stay. Stay with what is happening in the mind, in the body, in the moment. Stay with your own experience right in the moment. This simple practice of applying the attention, articulating intention with the action of the mind. This can be a source of delight or pain, notice which it is for you, and how your own mind tends to deal with it. Become curious about how your mind tends to move with the emotional content of the pose. Just watch what happens.

Don’t worry about how it feels to stay with your own experience. Just watch and see what it is that you experience when you stop trying to get away.

Just stay with yourself. Witness what is happening, as it is, not as you wish it to be. And when you wish to leave the pose, stay some more.

Balance this with the healthy reminder not to hold poses for hours on end. Just stay with your pose into the actual feeling of that pose. Take several breaths with the pose and see what its feeling is for you. Acknowledge what it is in that pose today.

And when you do move to the next posture, see if you can do so steadily and without sudden or mindless action. Stay with the process for yourself, and into the next pose.

Yoga Pose of the Day: Tadasana – Mountain Pose (into Chair pose – Utkatasana)

Yogic Concept of the Day: When you plan to leave the pose, make up your mind right then to stay. Accept it and stay a bit longer. Then, when you finally do chance position, move slowly and intentionally.