Where to place focus

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Greetings all,
I’ve been doing asanas off and on for a few years, and I feel like I’m missing an essential point, where are you placing your focus?

I understand the mind should be clear, but should my awareness be on a particular part of my body? I find that wherever I place my mind, my energy seems to head that way. I’ve recently been attempting to keep sending my energy upward.

I’ve heard some speak of breathing into the stretch, perhaps focusing on that part of the body which is most utilized during a particular posture.

Others speak of chakras, chi, prana.

Where do you find you place your consciousness during your asanas?

Thanks so much,
Chris

#2

All is true. But first define what asana do you practice.How many of them the same day? and whay is your goal?

#3

It would be a good idea to concentrate on the parts of the body which are being stretched by the asana- especially if you are a beginner. Advanced practioners normally focus on the breath or the mantra.

Ravi

[QUOTE=bigmapideas;45305]Greetings all,
Where do you find you place your consciousness during your asanas?

Thanks so much,
Chris[/QUOTE]

#4

Hello Chris and welcome to the community.

You are asking specifically of one’s focus, is that correct?
Focus itself is not a thing to be placed. Focus is the ability to see something with clarity as opposed to concentration which is the ability to place the attention on only one thing of one’s choosing.

So if I may, I’d like to reframe your question and discuss one’s attention or awareness.

The attention is placed based on several factors, not the least of which are the level of the practitioner, the particular posture, and the intention for the practice by that person, in that posture, at that time.

There is no one answer which can be applied other than to direct the attention in such a way so that the result for the practitioner is a) joy in the practice and b) a pathway to greater knowledge of the self.

#5

Chris,
Essentially, it’s the quality of your breathing: through the nose, complete exhalation, synchronizing your inhalation with initiation of posture (most of them), rate and volume together with length of transition, exhaling coming out etc. When we do this, many other elements take care of themselves. But without it…the door will never open.

peace and happy holidays.
siva

#6

Exactly what Siva said.

Full breathing in / out the nose.

Ujjayi and mula bandha, sight can gaze into the mid-distance.

feel and relish in the backbone, and breathe joyfully into those edges.

Om namah shakti

#7

Without you being specific I cant proscribe anything to you.Is like asking for a taxi and not knowing where you want to go.I dont talk for talk.Are you a hatha yogi? (what asana are you doing? How many of them a day? what do you want to achieve).You can place your mind anywhere you want.By the way focus is the same as concentration.It all comes from the idea of one point.

#8

[QUOTE=bigmapideas;45305]Greetings all,
I’ve been doing asanas off and on for a few years, and I feel like I’m missing an essential point, where are you placing your focus?

[B]Secrets I cannot say but in the open they are for all to see. I dunno what that means. [/B]

I understand the mind should be clear, but should my awareness be on a particular part of my body? I find that wherever I place my mind, my energy seems to head that way. I’ve recently been attempting to keep sending my energy upward.

[B]SHould the mind be clear? Should the mind be calm? Should the awareness be on a SPOT of the body? SHould it move around according to will?

Perhaps.

Why have you recently been attempting to send the energy up. It’s already up. In fact it’s all around. You need more head energy? for why? x ray vision?
:sunglasses:

[/B]

I’ve heard some speak of breathing into the stretch, perhaps focusing on that part of the body which is most utilized during a particular posture.

[B]This is a good tip I guess. But better would be to come to knowledge of your spirt body as they call it. Which is what your doing. - The Scales[/B]

Others speak of chakras, chi, prana.

Where do you find you place your consciousness during your asanas?

[B]Depends on my mood, goals, and the alignment of the stars. For me I’m trying to be calm in motion, for me I’m trying to feel the subtly within. For me I want to know what I can do with this.
[/B]

Thanks so much,
Chris[/QUOTE]

Chris Your so welcome I had fun.

#9

whats is spirt body scale? hahahahhahaa’

#10

Man Im so impress you guys are so high in the sky.make sure to use parachuting gear.lol

#11

You dont hide no secrets you dont need to.The Guys that dont get it, dont get them even if you tell them.

#12

Try putting your awareness in the places it is’nt within your own body/bodies.Ignore everything else external to you, i.e everything else that seems to be going on outsiide of you.The easiest way to do this is through the third-eye, through Brahmadaya (directly in the pt. between the eye-brows, softly- in meditation), and being seated for this.You want to be in a meditative seat for this ,ideally, although you can do it in a chair if that is not possible, i.e comfortable.You want to go , i.e venture within.

#13

:cool:

#14

thanks all for your replies.

#15

Just thought I’d add my $.02. In Ashtanga vinyasa, for each posture they talk about three things, the breath, the movement, and the drishti or gaze. Those three things are where you need to focus your attention. I should point out that for different postures the dristhi is in different places. For more info see AshtangaYoga.info

#16

I think you should try to focus on your breath and the parts of your body that can feel the difference from doing asanas, I rememeber one of my teachers said it is the breath that leads the movements, hope it is useful.