As children every experience is new and exciting. A day lasts forever, and a year lasts an eternity. As we grow older if we are not careful, familiarity with a broader range of experiences slide into an auto-pilot routine. The days fly by and the years become a blur. How do we slow down time and take note of what we are experiencing? Purposely varying our approach and actively seeking novelty flags experiences with bookmarks in our memories. Then when we flick back through the pages of the memory-book of our lives, time seems longer in review. Life stops flying by, and we can experience more in the moment. Maybe it is as simple as trying new recipes, attending a play, listening to different music. Or you might go bigger and expand your comfort zone- holidaying somewhere remote, taking up a new pastime, making new friends! Add in freshness and novelty and truly experience life anew.

Seeking different ways of approaching our yoga practice has a similar impact. Zen buddhism refers to ‘shoshin’, beginner’s mind. We are invited to view studies, habits and exercises with eagerness and open-mindedness. Instead of going through the motions on auto-pilot, we can keep our yoga practice fresh. Even if you have ‘go-to’ poses that you incorporate daily, view them anew. Experiment with variations to your Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward dog); take more distance between the hands and feet, take less distance, bring the hands closer together, turn the hands out, turn the fingers slightly in, hands on bricks, feet on bricks, hands and feet on bricks! The combinations are endless. Engage the intelligence (buddhi) as you practice. Iyengar yoga offers a plethora of variations of every pose with props. Be playful with your use of props! Your variation with props may or may not work, but you will certainly have fun along the way.

Sequence in different ways. What happens to your Trikonasana (triangle pose) if you put it between each of the other standing poses? What happens to your seated forward bends and twists if you put an Adho Mukha Svanasana between each one? Start with your hip opening floor-based poses and then do a handstand! What is the difference? Explore.

Change the time of day you practice. If you practice early in the morning, what is it like to practice in the evening when the mind is busier from the day? If you usually practice for 15 minutes, what is it like to practice longer? If you always commit to an hour-long practice, what happens if you practice for just 20 minutes?

Attending a retreat and taking yourself away from your daily routine offers one of those fantastic bookmark experiences. My first retreat with Senior Iyengar Yoga teacher, Pixie Lillas in New Zealand was life changing. 7-days immersed in the practice of yoga with like-minded people, eating delicious fresh organic food and enjoying the natural surrounds was amazing. That bookmark will never fade! I have attended many retreats since that first one and each has offered a unique combination of bookmark experiences. We are so fortunate at Unfold Yoga+Wellbeing to have Jacq Iles, an experienced yoga teacher and Ayurvedic practitioner who facilitates wonderful retreats for women. If you are looking for time out to nurture, nourish and reconnect with yourself, there is no better way than attending one of Jacq’s Feminine Vitality Retreats. You can find details about Jacq’s retreats HERE.

by Samantha Smith