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| So, I'm pretty new to Bikram, having started practicing about 3 weeks ago. I'm loving it, but one of my constant problems is my complete and utter lack of ability to balance in the standing positions. I know it'll come with time, but do any of you have any tricks for focusing attention, etc that might help?
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Regular
Posts: 66
| I have no answers for gaining balance. Like you, I'm about 3 weeks into bikram yoga after no yoga ever, and balance is my nemesis  Well balance and triangle |
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| The trick to balance I've found in my own practice and teaching is unflinching focus--pick a spot for that drishti and do not waiver. |
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Regular
Posts: 66
| Bruce
I do believe your correct, it seems more mind than learned practice or strength. I do notice there are times i have my balance correct, and the instructor walking around the room distracts me, or blocks my current eyeball aiming point and I lose it. |
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| Agree 100%, balance has as much to do with your eyeballs and your mental focus as it does with your form. (Though of course better form will lead to better balance!) Just try to GLUE your eyeballs to one spot on the mirror and FOCUS there. And mentally focus on the posture, also... I notice that when i fall out of head to knee, it's usually because my mind suddenly goes "HEY what's that person over there doing?' or "what am I going to have for lunch today?" and then it's all over. I am very easily distracted (relatively speaking), so my only mental "trick" is to keep on reminding myself that MY body and that ONE spot in the mirror are the MOST interesting things in the world at that moment, WAY more interesting than the girl behind me or the smoothie that I'm going to get after class. I like to tell myself that an entire circus parade could march through the yoga room and I wouldn't even NOTICE because I would be so focused on my standing knee in the mirror. |
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| http://www.yoga.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=26598&posts=9
http://www.yoga.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=24617&posts=12
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| Jar - 2008-04-28 9:08 PM
Bruce
I do believe your correct, it seems more mind than learned practice or strength. I do notice there are times i have my balance correct, and the instructor walking around the room distracts me, or blocks my current eyeball aiming point and I lose it.
And why is it that they ALWAYS have to walk around the run when everybody is trying to focus like that? |
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| i tend to stand in the back of the room when leading balancing postures unless i have to demo. and, i don't assist unless i have to as well, which might require darting toward a student quickly. but that person's safety is important.  |
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| With beginners, I play "fall out of tree" a bit just to get 'em not to fear it by realizing you can get your leg down quick enough that you aren't going to get hurt. |
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| I think the trick is to have a steady pattern to your breath and then when you go into the balance you don't get thrown off by your own breath.
I always try to balance my breath, inhale and exhale.
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| Balance definitely does come more with time, and I do agree with the unwaivering focus that everyone has mentioned. Another thing to take into consideration is to focus your weight onto your entire foot. You have to put more weight on the inside of your foot and big toe, which will help to keep the weight even.
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| When choosing an object to focus on, I've had better success focusing on a smudge on the mirror, and not on some object reflected in the mirror. Where the reflected object appears in the mirror will change if I move. The smudge stays in the same spot.
If one of the objects of balancing is to develop focus, then it makes sense that the instructors might want to raise the distraction level. If everything is peaceful and still, then it will be relatively easy to focus and maintain balance. Once you've achieved that, one way to work on your balance is to up the distraction level by having the instructors do things that are designed to make you lose focus. So, when the instructors are moving around in the back, just think of them as trying to help you improve...
Duffy |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
Location: Oregon | musie, welcome to the forum.
For some reason your post reminds of when people in real life, after they find out I do alot of Yoga, feel the need to explain why they don't do it--because they're already flexible. It's so hard for me to not say, but, but... Yoga isn't just about flexibility, it's about strength, stamina, concentration, balance...
What they often say in my studio is, Part of gaining balance is losing balance. So don't sweat losing it. It's ok to fall out. Just get back in with minimal effort. |
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| Applicable here I think is that last week, a young lady had terrible rpblems balancing in tree. I gently steadied her and whispered for her to pick that spot on the wall, concentrate, and berathe rythmetically. Tonight, she was rock steady and text book focused. She was thrilled. |
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Balance
