Mindful Yoga/Pranayama

If you seek a meditative/mindful type of yoga, this style might be exactly what you’re looking for. Here, we mostly work with passive postures, such as sitting and lying down. Mindful Yoga is a gentle, introspective practice that emphasizes mental stillness, inner awareness, and breath control over physical intensity. Such a session will often include breath awareness, body scans, mantra repetition, visualization, and silent observation. Mindful Yoga can also be part of the cool-down section of a session (in Hatha, Vinyasa, or Power Yolates) if the client wishes.

Pranayama is a series of breathing techniques consciously applied in practice to regulate the breath. Examples include Alternative Nostril Breathing, Kapalabhati, and Ujjayi breath, among others. Pranayama is often used as a tool to deepen concentration and meditation. However, it’s also great to combine with other styles of yoga during the warm-up section of a class, as pranayama increases energy and prepares you for yoga poses.

The overall goal of a Mindful Yoga/Pranayama class is to calm the nervous system and promote grounding.