Stillness in YogaAll day my mind is full of thoughts. On my walk to work I'm thinking about what I'm doing over the weekend, in meetings I'm thinking about what I should eat for dinner, and all throughout the day I think…how will I ever find a boyfriend?!?!

In yoga the goal is to be in the moment, feel your body in each pose, and try to achieve stillness in body and mind. This sets yoga apart from so many other types of exercise. It's luxurious to go into the studio and be able to leave everything else at the door. But of course it's not always easy. In fact this is one of the biggest challenges for me as a student of yoga.

I've found a method that works well for me to try to clear my mind before yoga. I try to get to class a bit early to lay in savasana and let my mind wander. Instead of willing my mind to be clear, I just let it go, let it follow every weird path it wants to take. After a few minutes of this, usually I can find a bit more stillness. I used to spend all of class scolding myself inside, “Don't think of work! Stop thinking of that guy you like! Stop thinking about how you're going to decorate your room!”

I find if I just let my mind do its thing, eventually it reaches the end of that road and it leaves me more able to leave those thoughts behind once yoga begins.

What do you do to keep focused during yoga?

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