Dara's Centering

I got to take a class on Monday with my friend, a fellow yoga teacher, and a generally great lady on Monday. Dara seemed comfortable with silence in a way that I am still working towards in my classes. Sometimes I feel like I am always inserting some instruction, hint, modification, alteration, mental instruction, physical instruction, etc. and etc. in fear of the room just being silent. In her class, I was able to see how good it can feel as a student to have that space created by the teacher, and sustained.

This centering is completely lifted from her class. I loved it so much I used it in all of my classes that week. If it works for you as well, may the thread continue!

Dara's Centering

1. Begin in a seated position, eyes closed.  (Note: this is a long-ish centering, so it might be best to start on a cushion or blanket)

2. Come into a dirgha (three part) breath

3. Add ujayyi (ocean sounding breath) if it suits you

4. Become aware of your skin. Of the clothes on your body, of the part of your skin touching the floor. The hair follicles on every part of your skin. Feel the skin breathing, as it does, just like you feel the breath coming into and out of your lungs.

5. Pause (and be silent!!!)

6. Notice any noises in the room. Heating vents, air conditioner, street noises. Now take your awareness into the quietest noise in the room, which is often your breath. Have the quietest noise in the room be your focus.

7. Pause

8. After hearing and listening to your breath, feel the breath moving into and out of the nose. What part of the nose does it touch on inhale? On exhale? What do you smell on the inhale? On the exhale?

9. Pause

10. The eyes being closed this whole time, it may seem like you are seeing nothing. But take your awareness into the back of your eyelids. See the back of your eyelids like you would a movie projection screen. What colors, shapes, light or dark splotches do you see? Not referring to visions or images in your mind, but literally. What do your eyes see when they are closed?

11. Pause

12. Take your awareness into your mouth. Relax the jaw, let the tongue be heavy in the mouth. Let there be a parting in between the lips. See if there is a taste in the mouth. Whether your last meal was 10 hour or 10 minutes ago, there is a taste always there. Become attuned to whatever subtle taste there is in the mouth.

13. Pause

14. Now bring your awareness into all of the senses. Feel the energy of all of the senses constantly at work in your body, even when you do not notice them. Feel energized and enlivened by the complete awareness of your senses. And... breathe.