Yoga can have incredible benefits for the body, mind, and spirit. However, the manner in which you practice yoga, and how you relate to the poses determines the benefits it will have.

Many styles of yoga tend to be hyper-focused on the specific "asanas", the shape the body is in during yoga poses. What is neglected is the movement between and within specific poses, which is where the real magic happens. Adding variations to traditional yoga poses can help deepen anyone's practice by promoting neuroplasticity- thereby improving mind-body connection, quality of movement, and can help yogis avoid repetitive stress injuries.

In some schools of yoga, asanas are taught in a way that is very stringent and prescriptive, which can have damaging impacts both physically and psychosocially. The hidden message is this- "if your body cannot get into this shape, then you should force it to". This can lead many people to steer clear of yoga classes for fear of judgment from others, as well as self-judgment, if they cannot "achieve" a certain yoga pose. Additionally, repetitively forcing the body into the same shapes over and over again to lead to repetitive stress injuries to the joints and other tissues. Yoga means union- union of your mind, body, and spirit. The purpose is to meet yourself where you are today without judgment or comparison.

The goal should be to work with your body, not ON your body, to achieve some arbitrary shape at the expense of injuring yourself.

This is where variety comes into play. Rather than trying to achieve a particular shape, try exploring the intention of a shape with different variations. Yoga should be about exploring movement, not stagnant posturing. Adding variety into your yoga practice will make it far more functional- how often in real life are we holding one exact position for a prolonged period, rather than moving in and out of different shapes? Variety can also be used as a modification to make a base pose more accessible OR more challenging. Practicing in this way will help nourish your muscles and joints in different ways to avoid injuries, and will lead to greater physical and neurological benefits.

Here is an example of adding variety onto some of my favorite yoga poses:

When in doubt, add a circle!

Written by Jacob Tyson, DPT - Physical Therapist, Yoga Instructor and The Wellness Station Team

What is it to be in flow?

Flow is when our minds are fully immersed in an activity. A sense of complete focus, engagement, and pleasure. We have all felt this sense, perhaps when performing well at our job, playing a favorite sport, or feeling fully present while interacting with a loved one. The ingredients for finding flow include undivided attention, intrinsic reward, and the perfect balance between challenge and ease.

What does this mean when it comes to yoga and movement?

If you have ever participated in a Vinyasa style class, Vinyasa means flow- flowing between different postures, synchronizing this movement with breath. However, how often is it that you truly felt like you were “in flow”, with your attention fully in that moment? Or do you notice your attention elsewhere… anticipating what is next? Looking at the screen or the instructor? Comparing yourself to others, or judging yourself in some way?

Participating in yoga classes is a truly invaluable practice that can benefit everybody- an excellent method for learning the foundational postures and how to navigate between them without injury. However, merely following someone else’s teachings would be selling ourselves short. Each of our bodies/nervous systems have unique needs to be addressed. By taking time on the ground to explore what has been learned and add to it with creative variations, we can induce neuroplasticity and learning

This will help us get the greatest benefit out of our movement practice. Finding flow in our movement will stimulate our intrinsic reward system, which will keep us coming back for more! With the intention of being patient and kind to yourself, you will begin to unlock the inner wisdom of what your body needs.

Here are some ideas for finding a "flow". The instructions are left vague on purpose in order for you to learn your own way:

1. Lie on your back and hug your knees into your chest. Roll like a ball, and try to find a way to come up to sitting.

2. Find the easiest possible way to transition from lying on your back to lying on your front, and vice versa.

3. Pick two of your favorite yoga poses- then, find a way to transition between the two of them, even if it involves many steps in between. Continue to transition back and forth between the two, seeing if you can find the easiest possible way. (E.g. Child’s pose to down dog)

4. Take five minutes the next time you are in the kitchen cooking or cleaning, and try to notice your “flow” of movements. Is one activity moving fluidly to the next? Are you staying mindful and present in what you are doing? Try to create a sense of flow and presence during this task. Music might help!

Written by Jacob Tyson, DPT - Physical Therapist, RYT-200- Yoga Instructor and The Wellness Station Team

Variety is the Spice of Life- And of Yoga!