Live Well: Balance postures can help defeat negative self-talk

Achieving better balance is often one of the perks that lures people to yoga.

They come to the right place. Balance postures are often a focus of class or weaved gently throughout. Working on these postures seems to be an emotional ride. People come right up against themselves, and I can often see just how they treat themselves when nobody is watching.

Some will teeter all class long, falling left, right, center. They just can’t seem to stay upright. And that’s fine. I often reassure students that balance fluctuates wildly from day to day.

But it’s how you treat yourself that matters. It’s not about the posture, it’s about how you approach the posture. Some display a healthy sense of humor and laugh at themselves. Others silently accost themselves, hands on hips, grimacing, fiercely shaking their heads. You can almost hear the self-abusive mental chatter.

I like to gently remind them to give themselves a break. So they can’t stand on one leg today, so what? But if you can carry some compassion for yourself and keep trying, I say you’ve succeeded.

Not to get too metaphorical here, but certainly the notion of balance has implications beyond the mat. Perhaps the struggle with balance begins in your mind. Maybe you come to your yoga practice with thought after thought competing for attention. What do I need at the grocery? Why did I say that? What will I do about that? When will I ever learn?

It’s very challenging to keep yourself upright with all that going on upstairs. Practicing these postures can help, teaching you mental focus and being present in your mind and body. Listening to and following your breath can sweep away the inner chatter.

Find your “drishti.” The Sanskrit word translates into finding a point of focus to fix your gaze upon. You do not stare at that spot or object, but allow your gaze to be soft, to almost haze over as you almost look through the point you have chosen. This setting of the drishti is spoken of often in classes. It helps you stay balanced and focused and aids in concentration. You’ll see for yourself how helpful a fixed gaze can be as opposed to a gaze that wanders around the room.

Maybe you spend most of class watching your neighbors or the teacher or checking yourself out in the mirror. I encourage you to use a drishti to really bring your focus inside. Practice honing your concentration so you don’t even realize the person next to you has just fallen out of her posture.

And again, think about drishti in life. Are you just wandering around, with unfocused eyes and intention? Or have you set your focus and found a drishti? What helps keep you balanced?
Work on these concepts in the following postures. Do on both sides.

Tree (vrksasana)
Tree is a classic posture you’ve probably seen many times. Come to standing. Shift all your weight into your left leg, grow imaginary roots down into the earth. Bend your right knee and use your hands to bring your right foot to the inside of your left leg. Place it on the inner thigh or the calf/shin area, either above or below the knee. Don’t press the foot into the side of the knee. If you’re really unsteady, you can keep your toes resting on the ground and place the right heel on the inside of the leg. Bring palms to touch at heart center.

Airplane (dekasana)
From standing, bring your arms to your sides, palms facing forward. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, begin to lean forward, lifting your right leg straight behind you. Your arms and hands reach behind you, palms stay facedown, shoulders squeeze toward each other. Keep the shoulders slightly higher than the hips. Imagine your heart shining forward.

Crescent lunge (anjaneyasana)
From standing, find a forward fold. Bend your knees generously here if you need to, and place your hands on the ground. Step the right foot way back, coming into a low lunge. You can either drop to the back right knee or keep the knee off the ground, as you slowly lift the torso up. Arms extend up by the ears, fingers reach to the sky. Relax and drop the shoulders down away from the ears.

Tabletop variation
Come to all fours, on your hands and knees, shoulder stack over wrists, gaze is down. Extend your right arm straight out in front of you, then extend your left leg straight behind you. Hold steady. Pull your bellybutton in toward your spine.
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Jennifer Mulson teaches vinyasa yoga at Corepower Yoga and Gold’s Gym in
Colorado Springs. Read more Live Well columns and watch yoga videos at gazette.com.