How to calm down the mind during yoga practice
"Rule" number one during yoga practice is to stay concentrated, to turn off the mind and to only follow your breath. But sometimes it's not so easy and you might start thinking even more in a moment when you have to be completely calm. Let's see how to control the mind.
Promise yourself in the beginning of the practice to put away all the daily thoughts and troubles and to have this time for yourself only. Don't look around you, close your eyes, take a breath and look inside you. Observe your body, your muscles, every single movement and feel how your breath is moving up and down. With each exhalation you let go all the worries, tensions and negative feelings and with each inhalation you fill in your body with light, love and positive waves. Slightly the mind will calm down, don't control your thoughts, but just let them come and go like clouds, while you observe your body, breath and movements.
You will feel a big difference if you manage to do this even for a while. Once you start practicing consciously, nothing would be able to disturb your peace, even if you hear people or noises around you, because you will be focused on what's happening inside you, not outside.
If you achieve this state of consciousness during your yoga practice, you will feel a new capacity to observe better your emotions and feelings. You will be able to look inside you and to sink deeper into your intuitive nature and you can even start noticing the movement of your prana (vital energy). You will feel how you massage your organs, how you stretch your muscles and how the rush of happiness is overwhelming you.
When you practice consciously you will experience the real benefit of yoga and what it does for the body and the emotions. Also highly important, it will reduce the intensity with which the mind works and will help you stay more focused, able to hear your inner voice and to be here now in the present moment. Simply begin with a minute of meditation each morning and little by little, day after day you will realize that you can stay concentrated during meditation so you can also practice yoga consciously. It really has a difference, give it a try, you deserve these few minutes for yourself.