Body Awareness : More Than a Feeling

A man practices gentle neck stretches during yoga practice.
A man practices gentle neck stretches during yoga practice.

By focusing on breathing, practitioners develop a refreshed awareness of internal body sensations and emotions. This build upon the benefits of relaxation techniques at the start of class that facilitate a sense of calm within our physical body.

The advantages of body awareness extend far beyond recognizing that we are 'feeling something'. This practice provides a wide range of benefits that contribute to our physical health and well-being.

When we’re in tune with our bodies, we can detect subtle changes that might signal underlying health issues - muscle tension, aches and areas of increased or restricted blood flow.

Students sit in Easy Pose at the start of a yoga class at The Bamboo Cottage Langkawi
Students sit in Easy Pose at the start of a yoga class at The Bamboo Cottage Langkawi

As in many yoga practices, our classes place heavy emphasis on breathing.

Subtle Changes

It takes practice of course to identify these subtle changes. The changes in muscle tension, as you move into and out of the pose, are perhaps more perceptible than those when we are lying still in Savasana. In fact, the transition into deeper relaxation can cause more reactions than expected.

Here are a few things to notice as you transition between poses or when holding a pose.

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