Out of Your Head; Into Your Body

A mini guided meditation, by yours truly

You may want to listen to this one; second half is a brief guided meditation.

I used to be a yoga teacher. It’s crazy that something that was a huge part of my identity is simply not, anymore. I completed a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training when I was 19, the youngest in my cohort by at least 15 years. I learned how to stand in front of a room of students—mine were mostly college students, with class sizes ranging from 2-30—and guide them through a sequence of physical poses and breathwork. On a scale from Yin (where poses are held for 3-5 minutes each, with relaxing music and blankets) to “Power Yoga” (intense workout classes with a sprinkling of yoga poses and a Namaste prayer thrown in), my classes were of the Hatha variety, which means that they were fairly gentle, simple, moderately paced, and intended to feel grounding.

I loved teaching, at the time. I stopped because I did not feel knowledgeable enough to take my teaching to the next level. I began to realize that I needed a lot more training, which I had neither the funds nor the interest for, and so I retired my teaching practice.

Teaching yoga taught me fundamental skills that have served me well in my young adulthood. Being witnessed by a group of people who expected me to be the one to lead them through a positive, grounding experience made me grow up, to say the least. I had to learn to embody authority in a soft, balanced way; to project confidence; to maintain an aura of calm no matter what, even if things were going wrong. I learned how to hold space for a room to move and breathe together;¹ to create a place for people to feel their hearts a little more deeply. 

Most notably, I developed the ability to be present. While I don’t miss teaching the mechanics of yoga poses, I do miss the state of aware presence I necessarily had to adopt while teaching a class. I rarely practice the physical aspect of yoga anymore; and, I am still constantly seeking to access presence in all of my daily life.

At its core, yoga is a practice of cultivating present awareness—of mind, body, breath, and emotions. The physical poses are only what you do with your body to get your mind to a place of present awareness; and, as we all know, yoga is just one avenue to this place. Everything you do can be done with presence, awareness, and breath: your morning coffee, your evening tea, and all of your routines in between.

The most beautiful thing about the present moment is that it is always available for you to be aware of.

Are you here now?

How about now?

Yoga taught me how to move out of my head and into my body: a practice I guarantee most of us could stand to exercise more often. We spend so much time spinning around in our minds, reacting out of impulsivity, conjuring more reasons to be anxious. The body listens to the mind, and vice versa: calming either of them often simultaneously calms the other, too.

So, with that, let me guide you through a little practice to help you get out of your head, and drop into your body. Let me tell you what I would tell a class full of yoga students, which is always what I needed to tell myself, too.

—

To begin, go ahead and relax your jaw. You can do this as you’re reading or listening to these words, whether you’re driving or walking or sitting. Let your tongue fall from the roof of your mouth; open your throat, and relax your face. Feel the skin of your face soften. 

Breathe in through your nose. Now, open the mouth, and make your breath out long and slow. Breathe in through the nose, again. Open the mouth, breathe out.

Let the skin of your face relax, again.

From here, as you’re reading or listening, let your shoulders relax down. Continue to breathe, in and out through your nose, a little longer and slower than your usual breath pattern.

Continue to relax your head, your shoulders. Now, direct your attention to the center of your chest. Feel the chest; maybe bring your hand to that area; notice any tension or tightness there. With your attention here, breathe into your chest; let the rib cage expand. Open the mouth, breathe out fully. Once more: Inhale deeply, into the chest. Exhale fully, let the breath go.

Direct your attention to your belly. Relax your stomach muscles. Release any tension that has collected in your belly—soften. On your next inhale, breathe into the belly; fill the belly up with breath. As you exhale, belly deflates. Once more: Inhale deeply, into the belly. Exhale fully, let the belly deflate.

As you continue breathing, turn your attention to the rest of your body. As you come out of this brief awareness meditation, notice how you feel. Notice what you are thinking about. Notice that when you step away from your mental drama for a moment and pay attention to your breath, you can see your thoughts for what they are: only thoughts, passing through.

To end, direct your attention outside of your body, to the sounds around you. Notice where you are and how you feel. When you’re ready, you can resume your day.

—

My hope for you is that you will spend time this week moving out of your head and into your body. I certainly need it. I’m sure you’re busy, and have a lot going on—all the more reason to spend extra time cultivating presence. Do something to quiet anxious or unproductive thoughts; to relax the tension you have been holding. Notice your emotional state. Take a yoga class, maybe.

Remember that the ability to be present is always less than a moment away.

Be here now—

Maggie

1. Wellness lingo 101