Focus
My monthly mother-daughter yoga class, which has been oriented around a theme which represents one of the eight limbs of yoga to help achieve the connection with the higher self, yesterday had the theme of focus. In exploring focus and concentration around using the breath to hold challenging positions, we discovered an interesting side note – that focus on one thing to the exclusion of the bigger picture can create problems.
One of the ways we were practicing focus was to keep the mind centered on the breath to help hold the postures, many of which were challenging as the yoga set was around abdominal strengthening. In holding a pose, paying attention to the breath can help one rise above the distractions in the external environment, in the mind, and in the distractions coming from the body in the form of discomfort. In fact,the power of the mind is equally as important as the strength in the body to hold the yoga pose or succeed in life – it is the mental focus that helps us stretch enough to sometimes get the job done.
Yet I also believe and tell students that they need to pay attention to the cues from the body in order to stay within the space of doing their best and not more than their best. Which means that there is a balance point to how far you can stretch yourself without negative results which arise from going beyond your capabilities. And it is around this point that the interesting realizations showed up for people…how to blend the two concepts of focus to stretch and grow and the balance of listening to the big picture.
One mom was so focused on holding her breath that while she was able to hold the pose and get through it, she also became a little light headed because she was breathing so strongly. It was an easy correction. She simply took a break and then started the next exercise but it brought up a valuable talking point at the end. Likewise, my daughter, in trying to focus on holding one pose longer in order to keep up with her friend, went beyond her limit in one pose and her back felt sore at the end. Both cases represented, at least to me, a subconscious focus on an external expectation at the expense of being fully present and listening to one’s needs.
At the end of class we had time to share and reflect. In talking about focus, it became clear to us all that single minded focus could be helpful but also had some serious side effects. The general consensus was that focus is important but needs to be held within the balance of the big picture. And one needs to clarify where to put the focus and the role that expectations play in setting the focus. There are times when that absolute focus is needed for survival but there can be a cost to the short term.
What’s your view on focus and your experience with the blend of concentration and balance?
Tags: balance, big picture, breath, concentration, doing your best, focus, power of the mind, yoga
BodyMind Coaching | admin | 
June 15, 2009 3:59 pm
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