Overview of the Practice

THE THREE FOUNDATIONS

The three foundations that provide the underlying support for the practice of Zenyasa® yoga are mindfulness, skillfulness and goodwill

The 1st Foundation: Mindfulness

1. Mindfulness is awareness of what is happening, while it is happening
   

2. To be mindful is to be fully engaged in the present moment, without pursuing thoughts about the past or the future
   

3. In Zenyasa®, we make an effort to practice mindfulness throughout the class, which can help us cultivate a habit of mindfulness that carries over into our daily lives as well
   

4. During seated meditation, we practice mindfulness of the posture, the external and internal conditions, and the breath... coming back whenever we notice that our mind has drifted off into the past or the future
   

5. During the movement practice, we mindfully observe the details of each posture, the physical sensation of muscles that are working or being stretched, and the rhythmic flow of our ujjayi breathing... coming back whenever we notice that our mind has drifted off into the past or the future
   

6. During final relaxation, we mindfully scan the body from head to toe, allowing each out breath to help us release physical, mental and emotional tension... coming back whenever we notice that our mind has drifted off into the past or the future
   

The 2nd Foundation: Skillfulness

1. Skillfulness refers to the mental attitude we bring toward the practice, and how this mental attitude positively manifests in the choices that we make throughout the practice
   

2. Skillful choices during practice are ones that are safe, efficient and/or appropriate for your present level of ability and experience
   

3. Unskillful choices during practice are ones that are unsafe, inefficient and/or inappropriate for your current level of ability and experience
   

4. Examples of skillful vs. unskillful choices during practice:
   

5. •if you have never practiced a headstand before -- it would be skillful to practice and acquire confidence in the preparatory options that are given before attempting the full posture; it would be unskillful to attempt the full posture prematurely, as this could result in a neck injury
   

6. •if you have tight hamstrings -- it could be more skillful to bend your knees or sit up on a bolster during seated forward bending postures; it would be unskillful to practice seated forward bends with your knees straight, as this could strain the muscles of the lower back
   

7. •if you are practicing a twisting posture, such as revolved triangle pose -- it would be skillful to maintain extension in the spine, as an extended spine can more easily rotate; it would be unskillful to allow the spine to flex, as a flexed spine cannot rotate very efficiently
   

8. Skillfulness is something that is gradually developed over time -- the longer we practice, the more we learn about our bodies, the more we learn how to use props when appropriate, the more that we learn about the aims of each posture -- the more skillful we can become in our practice
   

3) The 3rd Foundation: Goodwill

1. Goodwill can be defined as an attitude of kindness and friendliness
   

2. When we perform the gasho practice at the beginning of class, we take the time to cultivate and express goodwill toward our practice space, toward our fellow practitioners (the sangha), toward the teacher and toward all beings without discrimination
   

3. Throughout the class, please continue this practice of goodwill...
   

4. •Toward Yourself: if a posture or practice creates difficulty for you, it may bring up feelings of inadequacy, frustration or other negative mental states; if this happens, please remember to express goodwill toward yourself, to breathe deeply, and to practice letting go
   

5. •Toward the Practice Community: if ever a situation arises that causes you to feel negatively about another student in the class, please do your best to cultivate goodwill toward the student in question, to breathe deeply, and to let go
   

6. •Toward the Teacher: please express your goodwill toward the teacher by arriving on time for class, making an effort to follow the practice as it is given (unless resting or modifying to accommodate an injury), and being patient and attentive during demonstrations