When just arriving to your mat and closing your eyes, be extra sensitive to the first few breaths of your practice. I’ve found that the first few breaths can reveal a great deal about the current state of your mind-body-heart.

The first few breaths that happen to be deep and relaxed reveal the soothing effects of your earlier jog and healthful breakfast. The first few breaths that happen to be short and choppy reveal the stress caused by the traffic jam you encountered. The first few breaths that happen to be labored and tight reveal the pain felt from a disagreement with your partner.

In order to live our lives, working our jobs and caring for our families, we often feel the need to ignore our feelings. However, healing through yoga requires an open and observant mind. By watching the first few breaths of your practice, you may discover what situations throw you out of balance. When those same challenges arise in the future, you’ll be more connected to your mind-body-heart and therefore better able to keep your yogic cool. –Michelle Laxton

“Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.” When I first heard this quote a few years ago, I absolutely loved it. As a yogini it naturally made me smile, but it also made me think. Flexibility of the body is a wonderful benefit of a regular yoga practice, but flexibility of the mind is also a great benefit that is often overlooked.

Try taking a mindfulness approach when practicing mental flexibility. Simply notice the next time you find yourself frustrated, annoyed, or bothered. Are you upset that a substitute is in for your regular yoga teacher? Do you wish you had another six inches of space around your mat?

Beyond mindfulness, take your practice a step further challenging yourself to see the experience as an opportunity to develop mental flexibility. If you’re open to the substitute teacher, you might find that his style of teaching resonates with you. If you embrace the close confines of a popular evening class, you might find that the greater number of yogis in class gives you a boost of positive energy and a chance to make new friends.

It may be easier to perceive yoga as something we do for a specific period of time, in a specific place. However, if you take your yoga with you in the car, at the dog park, and in your own living room, you’ll find the possibilities to grow your mental flexibility abound. –Michelle Laxton

Whether I’m practicing yoga at home or in a class, each time I sit on my mat and close my eyes, I take a few moments to observe how I’m feeling physically, mentally, emotionally, and energetically. We often move through our days at lightening speed and seldom take time to self-reflect. A few moments of mindfulness can inform your yoga practice, showing you how to work towards greater balance in your life.

Some days I’ll notice that I need more patience. Some days, more joy. Other days, I’ll need to heal a certain part of the body. Before my first aum, I join my palms together in anjali mudra and set my intention to create whatever it is I need that day. My intention resonates in every breath and every posture, and after my last aum, I know I’ve given myself the gift of greater wellness. Next time you find yourself on your yoga mat, consider setting an intention that most serves your mind-body-heart at that given moment. –Michelle Laxton