Yoga in The Dark...

Yoga in The Dark... was blind for 90 mins.. 

Darkness… hesitancy… vulnerability… confusion... these were the feelings that overwhelmed me as I signed up for 'Yoga in The Dark' class at my yoga studio. Being blind for ninety minutes was quite enough challenging thought for me.. But when I positively looked at it, I felt that 'the dark is the place where anything is possible.. I might nail every pose.. no judgements.. everything will be perfect.."

It was quite unique and enriched experience for me.. Removing the sense of sight challenged my mind and body, allowing me to experience yoga in a whole new way..

Practicing yoga in the dark is a great way to free yourself from observation and judgment... Not only people won't be able to see what you’re doing or you will not be able to compare yourself with others or watch what you are doing in a mirror... This freedom will allow you to dive deeply into your practice, freed from comparisons and expectations.... You will find that in the dark, you have the freedom to look silly, tumble out of poses, and try new things without the hesitation that you may feel in a class setting... It also allows you the freedom to do what you want... In the dark, you can customize your practice, listen to your body, try new things, all while testing your balance and focus... 

I did practice 'Pratyahara' 5th limb of Yoga.. detaching from my senses (which connect us to the outside world) and focusing within.. By actually removing one of our senses... sight.. I challenged myself to look inward and quiet the mind and tried to find deep self-awareness... When we remove sight, our balance get shifted... You will not be able to steady yourself by focusing on dristi (point of focus) or through the awereness of your surroundings... It was so hard to do just a Tree Pose, keeping myself steady and balanced.. but when I started looking inward and really focusing on the body and the breath I could able to achieve the balance what I needed..  

This gets to the heart of what yoga is all about: a mind-body connection.. that is achieved by filtering out the world around you and finding peace and awareness within.

“If light is in your heart, you will find your way home.”

-मी मधुरा..

30th September 2018