Yoga Teachers Reveal Their Tips For Everyday Mindfulness

Yoga Teachers Reveal Their Tips For Everyday Mindfulness ​ With so many distractions occupying our every thought these days, it's hard to concentrate on just one thing at a time or to even clear our minds at all, which is why mindfulness awareness is so invaluable. It's important to make some time for ourselves and to find stillness in our mindswithin a chaotic world, but it can be difficult to know where to start. We asked the below yoga teachers what their top tip would be for bringing mindfulness into everyday life. This list of expert tips is the perfect place to start for carrying out small but effective methods into your everyday routine which you can start implementing today.These tips are particularly great if you're a student and you're struggling concentrating on that exam revision or coping with University stress. Enjoy some well-deserved 'you' time! Taylor Harkness... a former paramedic now aiming to unite others through yoga and optimistic neuropsychology "Yogis' talk a lot about being mindful, and for good reason. It's so easy to get sucked out of the present, especially with our constant bombardment of stimulation these days. The human brain has a finite amount of cerebral capacity, and is estimated to be roughly equivalent to 56 bits of information per second. This is why it's very hard to focus on two people talking at once and nearly impossible to focus on three. Whenever I feel myselfspiralling, it's usually because I've lost my sense ofthe present -I'm either stressed about the future, concerned with the past or simply distracted. One of the best tips that I've come to live by is this: become more mindful by making it a habit and a routine to disconnect from technology during activities. For example, when you're having a conversation, practice not looking at your phone, tv, or computer. Instead, try noticing the color of the person's eyes, or the way that they smile. When eating a meal, focus on the aromas and flavors of the food and silence your cell phone. Stop multitasking and instead, do whatever you're currently doing one hundred percent. It takes time and practicebut it eventually becomes second nature. Less reliance upon and distraction by technology means more cerebral capacity for the present moment. Begin paying more attention to the things around you and watch how it permeates into the rest of your life." www.taylorharkness.comStephanie Spence... writer, adventurer,yoga teacher and screenwriter from California "Stay in the present moment, that's where power is. This is a skill that can be learned. Practice brings rewards. Build your appreciation muscle. What you focus on magnifies, so train yourself to focus on the good things in your life. Embrace your emotions! When you don't feel good, your emotions are letting you know that you are not aligned with joy and abundance, so stop the train of thoughts that brought you to this point and accept yourself and everything around you exactly as they are at this moment."Allie Flavio... born and raised Florida girl who loves the ocean, outdoors and all types of adventure "Gratitude Movement. A gratitude practice is a wonderful way to stay grounded, connected and humbled in times of stress. By recognizing the simple, yet profoundly incredible aspects of our lives, we can truly appreciate the rest of the madness. Wondering how to do this? Start a gratitude practice. Write down three things you're grateful for every damn day. Keep it simple, keep it light, keep it fun. It can literally be anything - your cup of coffee, the comfortable bed you sleep in, your outfit, your family and friends, the food you ate...truly, everything is fair game. A movement practice can also be anything, so long as you move, breathe, and feel yourself come alive. Whether you walk, run, do yoga, dance, rock climb, or swim, there's no wrong way to move. The only requirement is that you connect to you, your beautiful self, and the miracle that your body is! Just like the above practice - keep it simple, enjoy it, don't put too much pressure on it. Just move andmove every damn day!"www.thejourneyjunkie.comRandi Ragan... holistic wellbeing expert and speaker, mindfulness teacher, ceremonial guide and green living entrepreneur "I would urge young people to simply try and find moments they can build into each and every day, that allows them to pause, step back, center themselves and focus on their breathing to turn this pause into a sacred ritual of self-care that provides a bubble of uninterrupted, quiet focus. They don't have to be thinking of anything in particular in fact, to NOT think of anything but the present moment is the goal. Do this by becoming aware of how their breath feels, how their skin feels, how the air around them feels; what sounds they hear; to close their eyes and simply BE without ANY kind of distraction (here's looking at you technology!). I like to work the sacred number 108 into these pause rituals'. (108 is the number of mala beads on a Buddhist prayer necklace. It shows up in Yoga texts and ancient Hindu scriptures as well). Take 108 steps in a mindful walk, breath and meditate for 108 breaths or 1 minute and 8 seconds, count to 108 while listening to bird sounds, take your pause ritual at 1:08 pm every day, spend 1 hour and 8 minutes writing in your journal every week literally you can apply this number to anything that you want to set aside and make sacred as YOUR time to be mindful. The more the Pause Ritual is practiced, the more one appreciates its power, and the power to radically alter the way we live our lives on a daily basis. This is Mindfulness In Action!"www.randiragan.comAdam Husler... bringing something a little different to the yoga-mix A photo posted by Adam Husler (@adamhusler) on Jul 23, 2016 at 8:53am PDT [tcb-script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"][/tcb-script] A photo posted by Adam Husler (@adamhusler) on Jul 20, 2016 at 5:31am PDT [tcb-script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"][/tcb-script] "Take 5 to 10 minutes in the morning to simply sit. Keep with the back of your body long, the front of your body open and spend some time bearing witness to you breath. Don't have any expectations, don't look of an elated feeling or a journey in your head, but simply spend some time trying to find calm. Whenever your mind starts to wander to the future or past, return back to the object of your focus; your breath. It can be as simple as that."www.adamhusleryoga.comSarah Highfield... London-based yoga teacher with a passion for achieving the miraculous work-life balance "Try to remain present; yoga takes us into the present moment, it's the only place where life really exists. We spend far too much time thinking about the past or feeling anxious about the future. Stay focused during your practice, move with your breath and the rest will follow."www.sarahhighfield.comGwen Lawrence... yoga instructor andfounder of Power Yoga For Sports program "Learn diaphragmatic breathing. Simply learning to breath in and out through your nose only, utilizing the bodies natural filtration system (the nose) as well, the nose is built to warm or cool the entering air appropriately for full effectiveness for the body. Adding to that, diaphragmatic breathing means breathing in and out through the nose and deep down into the belly not shallow chest breathing. When you breathe this way as opposed to through the mouth and in the chest you shut off the bodies fight or flight response mechanism and can quickly calm the body, mind and reduce stress, fear and anxiety. Of course there are many simple techniques you can do, but this is the gold standard user friendly one to pick no matter where you are or what situation you find yourself in."www.gwenlawrence.comMeadow DeVor... author, yoga teacher, master life coach and founder of Yoga Church "My best tip is to remember to breathe. Our breath is always available as an anchor to ground us and to help us feel connected to the present moment. Take 3 deep breaths on purpose. It's the quickest way to change your state."www.meadowdevor.comKatarina Rayburn... London-based Dynamic Vinyasayoga teacher and practicesDharma yoga herself "My top tip for bringing mindfulness into everyday life would 100% be to practice yoga regularly but I appreciate that isn't realistic for everyone. So if that's the case then I'd say give yourself at least 10 minutes in the day where you are completely removed from any distractions, any technology and allow yourself to switch off, cultivating a more internal focus. Starting to notice your breath, linking the body and the mind, which is what we aim to achieve from a yoga practice. If you can get outside in the fresh air, even better! Removing all the clutter and just getting back to basics, it helps me to appreciate the simple things. It's so important to give your mind and body conscious rest, whether it's in Savasana or just sat alone in a park."www.katarinarayburnyoga.comCalli Popham... specialises in teaching yoga inversions in a playful and accessible way A photo posted by Calli Cat (@calliyoga) on Aug 3, 2016 at 2:28am PDT [tcb-script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"][/tcb-script] A photo posted by Calli Cat (@calliyoga) on Jul 7, 2016 at 3:17am PDT [tcb-script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"][/tcb-script] "Start to write a gratitude list. Every single day, take a moment first thing in the morning to write down at least 10 things that you are grateful for and why. The more we can reflect on the every day things we are grateful for, the more positive and happy we feel and the more wonderful things we welcome in. You can also start to add in things that you would like to manifest, and write them down as if they have already happened, say thank you and then watch the magic happen!"www.calliyoga.co.ukSoul Analyse... online communitybuilt to remind you of who you are and help you gain clarity in an overloaded world ​ "Present Moment Awareness The mind can be one of the biggest distractions when it comes to studying; you might sit down to work on an important project and suddenly your mind is wandering elsewhere, which leaves little room for productivity and concentration. Dwelling on the past and worrying about the future tend to be the biggest culprits of mind-wandering, so the best way to prevent your mind from straying is to bring your attention to the here and now. Breathing exercises are a great way to stay present, and you can try this method anytime you notice your mind wandering: Sitting in a comfortable position, focus your awareness on your breath don't try to change your breathing in any way, just simply observe. Feel the air as it flows into your body as you inhale, and listen to it as it leaves your body as you exhale. This helps to shift your attention from the mind and onto whatever is happening right now. Living in the present moment has many incredible benefits; when we are in a heightened state of awareness, our concentration increases and we are less likely to be distracted by intrusive thoughts. As a result, we experience increased peace, calm and happiness in our lives." www.soulanalyse.comKelly Brooks... trying to change the perspective of yoga, making it fun and accessible to everyone "Move your body, feel alive, breathe. The breath is so important for mindfulness. When you start to feel stressed out and like you have too much to do and you don't know where to start focus back on your breathing, "sit upright" I know our mothers told us that all the time as children but when we are slouching it's stopping us from breathing effectively. Long deep breath in and a long deep breath out, drop your tongue to the lower palate and relax the face and jaw. Just 5 deep breathes can make a difference when you are feeling overwhelmed. Another tip is to try and find something positive in every situation, life is out of our control and sometimes things don't go to plan. Staying present in each moment, allowing the emotions to come and go will help." www.kellybrooksyoga.comNatasha Sherikhora... finding inner peace to cultivate mindfulness, strength and flexibility in your body and mind "Yoga and mindfulness provides opportunity to de-stress, relax and to better cope with the stresses that are involved with being a student. During the busy periods of exams it feels impossible to squeeze anything else in your schedule, that's why it's so important to find some time for yourself in order to allow your mind to clear and to help your body to release the tension that you are constantly accumulating due to the stress. Start your morning with 10-15 minutes of easy meditation and your favourite physical exercises. You can even start in a bed, laying down with your spine straight, knees bent, right palm on the heart centre, left palm is on your belly. Alternatively sit tall on the chair or on the floor with you legs crossed, crown of the head reaches up, chin is parallel to the floor. Close your eyes and try to focus on the breath, observe all the sensations associated with the breath - your belly rises, chest expands, air goes in and out through your nostrils. Try to deepen your breath and pay special attention to lengthening your exhalation. These long soothing exhales are your best friend in every stressful situation, use it any time you need to focus and calm down. Don't underestimate the power of the breath, really soon you will notice the benefits even at the beginning it may feel like waist of time :) A few rounds of San Salutations, gentle stretching, a short run or dancing to your favourite song helps to improve blood flow, releasesendorphins and improves your mood for the day ahead! With all the classes, homework, exams, parents' expectations and jobs outside of school you are constantly under pressure. It's easy to lose your focus, to forget the purpose and to loose motivation. Stay present, don't compare yourself with anyone else, focus on the positive sides of the process and most be patient with yourself"www.soluckysogreen.comRachel Scott... artistic educator, romantic adventurer and yoga nerd "Being a student can be stressful! Juggling deadlines, workloads, and extracurricular activities can lead to anxiety and burn out. Mindfulness is a wonderful tool for reducing stress while increasing focus. One of my favourite mindfulness techniques is also the simplest: counting the breath. Best of all, you can do it wherever you are: in the library, seated before a test, or even during a lecture. - Sit comfortably with a tall spine. - Begin to count your breath: inhale for a count of four, and exhale for a count of four. - Continue to inhale and exhale slowly and evenly. - Repeat 5-10 times. Even just 5-10 repetitions will help to calm the body and still the busy-ness of the mind. If you have the time, extend the length of this practice to five minutes for a soothing and effective meditation. This simple exercise is a gem: slowing the breath pacifies the nervous system, while counting the breath helps to focus and clear the mind."www.rachelyoga.comKate Watson... Co-founder of NEUlotus, a multi-use yoga prop to help with alignment and support "Alignment in mindfulness and breath. When we talk about mindfulness and presence, the first thing we discuss is breath. How should you breathe to create a sense of relaxation in the body and mind? Diaphragmatic breathing drops our body out of the fight or flight' body response and into the parasympathetic nervous system, and this is where we need to be to relax! Our fight or flight' response is where we are mostly living these days and it is nearly impossible to relax in this state. Excess weight, stress, insomnia, addiction and a lack of concentration are all side effects of being in this fight or flight' state. This is where the breath can help change the bodies health, Pranayama. To begin a good Pranayama practice, find a comfortable position where your body can be in neutral, this will allow your diaphragm the proper space to expand and drop with the opening of your ribcage. Breathe deep and wide into your ribcage and exhale completely until the last stale air of your lungs exits the body. Repeat this breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth until you soften. Really take the time to concentrate on visualizing the breathe moving in and out of the body. Do you feel the softness and the ease? This is presence. This is alignment and mindfulness. Enjoy."