In a sunny corner of my room, beside my yoga mat, yoga block, yoga strap and meditation pillow, sits a little blue journal. It may seem out of place beside the more familiar yoga supplies, but it is without a doubt an integral part of my daily yoga practice.
While most studio yoga classes rush you on and off your yoga mat, the major advantage to developing a home-based yoga practice is having time to reflect when you are done. So many ideas and revelations surface, both at a conscious and unconscious level when we practice yoga, taking a moment to write them down is essential to your personal and yogic growth.
Relaxed Writing
Here are a few starting points for your yoga journal. Don’t force your writing. Much like forcing your yoga poses does not help you deepen them, forcing your yoga journaling will just lead to frustration. You should be calm and relaxed after shivasana so try to maintain this state of mind while you journal at the end of each practice. Relax and let your thoughts and words flow.
Be Honest
Secondly, don’t question your writing. Write everything that comes to you, whether yoga related or not. Use your words like a deep yogic exhale, letting out everything you no longer need to hold onto. Remember, there is no right or wrong thought, so don’t second guess yourself. This is a part of your yoga practice that is just for you. You don’t have to impress anyone, so be honest and real.
Conscious Reflection
If you are really stuck, there are two ways to break through your yogic writer’s block. First, consciously reflect on your yoga practice. Was there a yoga pose you found especially challenging today? How did you react to this challenge? Were you able to stay present, or did your mind wander? What were you thinking about? Did you have any physical, mental or emotional revelations? This form of journaling can help you see the lessons that we can teach ourselves. When you get back on your yoga mat, revisit your last entry, and jump-off from there.
Unconscious Surfacing
The second approach you can take is to tap into the unconscious well-spring of ideas and knowledge that your yoga practice opens up. By reflecting at this level, we can begin to identify the issues, emotions and ideas that are important to our immediate lives — ideas and emotions which may be deeply hidden.
Start by writing about any images, colours, words, sounds or thoughts that you had during shivasana. If nothing comes up, put down your pen and find your comfortable seated position.
Now clear your mind, begin deep yogic breathing, and imagine a cool dark pool of water. Slowly, tiny bubbles begin to rise to the surface from its depths. Each bubble brings with it an object, a color, a word or sound, from deep within you. Let these bubbles rise and reveal themselves naturally. Do this for as long as feels right, then slowly transition back to your journal, and make a note of what you visualized.