Transitions Article One

Transitions

by Steve Johansen, Hummingbird Pilates and Yoga

 

When I first started doing Yoga my focus was on the poses (asanas). I remember my teachers trying to instil the importance of the transitions, the movement from one pose to the next but it took me a while to appreciate the importance for myself. It wasn’t until I started learning about the different aspects of yoga, particularly: Svadhayaya, which means self-study or self-reflection that I began to appreciate importance of the transitions themselves and the effect on my practice was transformative.

 

Transitions are more than just movement between the poses, they are the connection and awareness of the moment, helping us to slow down and draw our attention to the space between the poses, aligning the body ready for the next pose, enabling us to focus on a different aspect of our practice such as breathing. Imagine walking through the park to get to work, instead of just mindlessly walking, consider slowing down to enjoy the sun on your face, the birds singing in the trees, the beautiful flowers, or the laughter of children in the playground. When we slow down, we get to appreciate everything, and the initial action becomes more mindful and affords far greater benefits than the action of simply putting one foot in front of the other.

 

Whilst sometimes transitions are obvious, like the sweeping motion of the arms from beside the body in Mountain pose, upwards to meet in prayer above the head into Up-ward Saulat, some can be almost unnoticeable like a flex of a foot or a twist of a hand. Downward Facing Dog is a pose as well as a transition. So, this week, I challenge you to enhance your own practice by focusing not just on the poses but on how you transition between them. I hope that you’ll find your practice becomes increasingly mindful and powerful. I’d love you to join me in class so that I can guide you through your practice and help you to get the most out of your transitions. Book online at www.hummingbirdpilates.co.uk using code HPYFREECLASS and see how much you can improve.