Yoga is a spiritual and meditative journey which requires your utmost concentration and dedication. If you practice Yoga, it is crucial that you practice it in the correct way to make the most out of it. There are numerous Yoga asanas that one can take up and each of these yoga asanas are made up of 6 important steps.

It is important that these six crucial steps are followed in a proper and precise sequence and applied to all the asanas that you practice. If we are able to understand and master of these steps then we would be able to understand the entire process much better and gain a lot from it. In this article, we will be discussing the six essential steps that everyone needs to master in order to perform a Yoga asana confidently and efficiently.

Six Steps for better self 

Here are the six steps of Asana that you need to follow and master in order to complete your meditative journey:

Step 1: You need to Center yourself

In Yoga Asana, there are three steps which are to be performed motionless and three to be performed with movement but all the asanas start from a motionless position. This is often known as the Centering position in which one needs to balance themselves both physically and mentally. Some examples of centering positions are kneeling down, sitting in a meditative posture, lying on your stomach or back, sitting on the floor with straight legs, and so on.

In this position, we prepare ourselves to perform the Yoga posture and are mostly used to feel harmony and grounded. Once you have made your mind and body, you can visualize the next steps and implement them.

Step 2: Get into the Asanas Pose

Once you have centered your mind and your spirit, it is time to move into the second position. A lot of people think that motionless positions are more meditative in nature but this is not true. At every step of yoga, your mind remains awake and alert and to maintain this awareness, the movement into the next posture is done slowly and gently.

You observe every minute movement and initially, you are more focused on the physical aspect of the asana step. However, slowly you move beyond the physical posture and subtly get engrossed in the mental movements. Asanas This is why it is often recommended to breathe slowly while exploring a posture and take your own sweet time in achieving it.

Step 3: Keep your pose perfect

Once you have attained an asana pose, it is important to adjust it and correct it. You need to fine-tune your pose and achieve a perfect posture in order to make the most of the asana. So, move slowly and find the perfect balance so that your mind stays aware while your body moves on its own accord into the perfect position.

Step 4: Hold the Pose

After you have finally succeeded in achieving the perfect pose, it is important to hold it for a few minutes in order to keep your mind awake and alert. So take deep breaths and notice your surroundings while maintaining a relaxed yet poised position.

If it feels tiresome then let your body relaxes and don’t force yourself and always remember not to force muscles that don’t need to be used. If you force it, you can often end up hurting yourself which is not good for meditation. So let your body be relaxed and use only those muscles which are required and let the breath flow through the other parts of your body in calm and relaxed manner.

Step 5: Moving on from the Pose

After some time, you need to come out of your pose but be sure not to break your concentration and flow while doing so. Asanas You need to have the same awareness that you did while going into the pose but you have to be more careful this time. In a lot of asanas like side bend or triangle, your muscles are tightly stretched and one wrong move could end up contracting these muscles or could result in muscle strain.

This is why it is essential that you come out of your pose slowly and carefully with gentleness and awareness of your body.

Step 6: Resting and Introspection

Finally, the last step of Yoga asana requires you to come back into the centered pose where you stay motionless and observe the after-effects of your yoga asanas. A lot of people often experience a drastic change in mind and behaviour and can feel panic activity in different parts of their body. Asanas Sometimes you would also fee a dramatic change in the temperature or your blood flow and in your breathing rhythm.

It is important that you take your time to relax and calm yourself down in this pose and don’t try to hurry to the next asana. Asanas If you practice Yoga under a Yoga instructor or some master Hatha-Yogi then you would understand that the relaxing and reflecting is one of the most crucial steps of a yoga asana. One needs to totally absorb the effects and awareness of the yoga asana in order to gain the most out of the posture.

Yoga is a Meditative Art; Why?

Yoga is a delicate meditative art and one needs to be precise and patient when performing it. If you want to gain awareness and mindfulness out of it then it is important that you perform the Yoga asana in the above-mentioned six steps and don’t hurry any of these steps. Asanas Make sure that you take your time in moving to the next time and do it slowly and gently. If you try to move on too fast, you could end up injuring yourself in the process and will not be able to gain the awareness that you were looking for in the first place. 

Read More: Sequence of Ashtanga Vinyasa: Primary series

Yoga requires patience and determination and you need to be regular in it to make the most of it.