Feel the Pose : Interoception
Many of us rush into poses without gradually lengthening our spines with our breath. Moving too quickly into or between poses can create jerking movements, similar to lifting heavy weights, which increases the risk of injury.
The stretching and lengthening in yoga movements are often what our lower and upper back needs to feel better.
Take a moment to ‘feel the pose’ before going into active stretching. Our breath is the best guide in any pose. If it's difficult to maintain a smooth, steady, and comfortable breath, you may be pushing yourself too hard unnecessarily.
“Feeling the pose” helps to shift attention from merely achieving a specific shape to experiencing the sensations in the body. When feeling the pose, you begin to “notice how your body feels”:
With subtle shifts in muscle tension as you move into and out of the pose.
With the quality of your breath and how it flows in different positions.
In any areas of tightness or ease, and how your body responds when you make adjustments.
Interoception
All this refers to interoception, our awareness of internal bodily sensations like heart rate, hunger, breathing and the subtle shifts in muscle tension. When yoga teachers say, "listen to your body," they’re often guiding students to enhance their interoceptive awareness. This is about tuning into and recognising these internal cues to respond appropriately, whether it’s softening in a pose, taking deeper breaths, or modifying based on personal needs. Yoga practices, particularly breathwork and mindful movement, are known to sharpen this capacity over time
In our classes, you will often hear “notice how your body feels”.
As you deepen your awareness of internal bodily sensations through interoception, it’s also valuable to understand how your body moves and positions itself in space, known as proprioception. Together, these two senses form a comprehensive picture of body awareness that enhances not only your yoga practice but also your daily life. To explore how proprioception, often called the "sixth sense," supports balance and movement, you can read more about it here.
When practising yoga, it's essential to first use our muscles to create a solid base by aligning our limbs correctly. This forms the foundation for movement, allowing us to gently lengthen and stretch our bodies, especially the spine.
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