Be There / Focus - Part I

In yoga – Hatha in particular – sometimes we pose in various balance postures which require that we stand on one foot, two arms, one arm and one leg, or other atypical human stances. These are called, simply, balance poses. Essentially, we attain a pose and then remain still without all our normal appendages to anchor us in the usual way. To say the least, without some focal point to keep us steady, we simply fall over! So we find something on which to fix our gaze. A tennis ball, placed 8 feet away on the floor, will do! Like the gymnast performing on the balance beam, once she takes her eyes off the beam, she soon falls off! Likewise, when the yogi prepares for a balance pose, such as the *tree pose, he sets his gaze on a spot dead-ahead and center – and only then steps or leans into the pose.  The yogi’s eyes remain on this focal point for the duration of the pose, which can be anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. In addition to enhancing one’s ability to focus and reduce monkey-mind, balance asanas (poses) also strengthen that appendage on which the yogi is grounded. My yogis will often hear me recite, “focus, focus, focus – find your focal point and hold it.”

Come back later in the week to read how "balance poses" help the tennis player to "Be There" and focus throughout the competition. Also, visit my other blog - www.contemplativeyoga.blogspot.com and read the post entitled "Half-Moon Pose" for more about balancing.

Finally, to read the entire Dharma of Tennis document without having to wait for future posts, go to  http://www.amazon.com/The-Dharma-Tennis-Judi-Beck-ebook/dp/B00E0QFLA4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386680883&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Dharma+of+Tennis. For a whopping $1.69, you can jump to the head of the line.

* In a tree pose, the yogi stands on one leg with the other bent with her foot resting on the inner leg - anywhere from the ankle to the upper thigh. Hands are held in prayer position with thumb joints at the sternum or extended above the head.