Increase Positive Emotions with Warrior 1

I taught a yoga class to adolescents recently and I noticed there were a few new students. When new people join my yoga classes or when I start a new class somewhere, I ask the students, ‘what does yoga mean to you in your own words?’. I use this method to help beginners to understand some of the benefits of yoga through others’ experiences, to help me to understand better what is important to the student and generally to have a dialogue so that new students become familiar with the group.

This time one yogini, who practiced with me for a while explained, “Yoga for me is about self-confidence”.  Wow, these are the moments I love my job the most. Through teaching yoga, I can support others developing positive feelings. Self-confidence naturally brings more happiness. Self-confidence is not about being the best human-being and boasting about it to everyone, it is rather a silent belief in yourself. I can do it. Everything will be fine. Well, now: Do you believe in yourself? Let’s see and practice with one yoga asana (pose).

1. Stand with feet together on front of your mat or wherever you are.
2. Make sure you have some space behind you.
3. Breathe in and pull your shoulders to your ears.
4. Breathe out and roll the shoulders back and behind. Let them sink towards the floor.
5. Breathe in again and lift your chest. Have the arms hanging down on the side or put them together in prayer gesture. Close your eyes.
6. Repeat a mantra, a positive affirmation, like I can do it. I am beautiful.
7. Repeat this mantra for a minute.
8. Open your eyes and breathe in.
9. With your next exhale, step your left leg behind you into a lunge position.
10. Place your back foot into 45-degree angle on the floor facing forward, pushing it into the floor to have a strong stance.
11. With your next inhale, lift your chest. Exhale, bend your front leg at a 90-degree angle.
12. In the final position your thigh is parallel to the floor. Such a deep stretch is not the most important though. More important is that you protect yourself. In this pose you can protect your knee joints.
13. Ensure you keep your front knee over your ankle or behind for a gentler stretch.
14. Still have your leg muscles activated? Comfortable?
15. Lift your arms over your head with your next inhale.
16. You arrived in the so-called Warrior 1 pose.
17. While holding on the posture, focus on your mantra, I can do it. I am strong. Repeat it.
18. Breathe in, exhale.
19. Change legs, bringing the left foot forward and the sending the right foot back. Maybe you want to jump to change legs? In the end, this is your practice. This is your time. Feel free to play around with the posture.
    

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Explore. What makes you feel good? What does feel good to your body? Still feeling unsure? Self-confidence means also to keep going and believing in yourself. Know, you can do it. Know, you can get there. I believe in YOU.