Yoga’s inner four limbs
Breath, withdrawing the senses, gathering attention, steady watching: the inward half of yoga’s eight-limbed path, in plain words, with one small way to try each.
Notice3 min read
How it goes
- 01
Lie down 1′
Lie on your back with your arms a little away from your body, palms up or down. Let the floor or the bed take your weight.
- 02
Feet and legs 2′
Start at the feet: toes, soles, heels. Then ankles, calves, knees, thighs. Only notice what is there: warm, cool, heavy, buzzing, nothing at all.
- 03
Hips and back 2′
The pelvis and low back, then the long length of the back against the surface, and the shoulder blades.
- 04
Hands and arms 2′
Fingertips, palms, wrists, forearms, elbows, upper arms, shoulders.
- 05
Neck, face and head 3′
Throat, jaw, tongue, cheeks, eyes, forehead, scalp. Let the tongue lie wide and quiet in the mouth.
- 06
The whole body 2′
Feel the whole body at once, breathing. Let it be one shape, resting.
- 07
Return 30″
Move your fingers and toes. Stretch if you want to. Roll onto one side and sit up slowly.
A body scan is the plainest way to find out what your body has been doing while you were busy. You are not trying to relax. You are visiting each part and reporting what is there: warm, cool, heavy, buzzing, or nothing at all. Nothing at all is a fine answer.
Go slowly. The pace is closer to a walk than a search. When attention slips away to a plan or a worry, notice that and walk back to the place you left off, without comment. The returning is the practice.
When you are done, there is nothing to rate. You have simply learned how your body is right now, and that is enough.
Take care. Notice only; don’t try to change anything. If a part of the body is painful or numb, skip it. If a sensation or memory feels too strong, open your eyes, move, or return to the breath. If you might fall asleep, practise somewhere safe. Never practise while driving.
Keep reading
Supported shapes: yin and restorative, plainly
Two slow styles of yoga where the floor and a few props do the holding. How they differ, one shape to try at home, and what the research can and cannot say.
Let go3 min read
A twenty-minute lie-down
How to take twenty minutes lying down, awake, with nothing to achieve: where, how, what to do with your mind, and when to get up.
Let go3 min read