Let’s be honest in yoga there can be a lot of fluffy phrases that get used but may not be explained what the teacher means by them. One of those that I use a lot is “tuning in”. Although the literal definition may be something we can all resonate with, what could this mean in a yoga context?
“tune in” – intransitive verb – 1: to listen to or view a broadcast // tune in next week for the conclusion 2: to associate oneself with what is happening or one’s surroundings
Merriam Webster
When I am teaching it is that second definition to which I am most aligned. Tuning is all about being in the present moment and questioning what is happening. It is not necessarily about finding answers to those questions but instead about literally tuning in to what comes up for you.
For me tuning in is formed of three parts that together form the magic
Awareness
In our lives we spend a lot of time running for A to B, often on autopilot. And for the most part there is nothing wrong with this. We do what we have to do. Particularly at the moment when life is a little out of control survival is what we’re aiming for and often that means just putting one foot in front of the other.
But, I think there is always some space for a little awareness and by cultivating this on the mat we may well take it off of the mat. Awareness can be how you feel, how something genuinely feels in your body, the sounds around you, the feeling of your clothing against your skin. Awareness is not about controlling, it is all about being conscious of the environment you find yourself in.
Acceptance
Acceptance and awareness go hand in hand for me with acceptance following on from awareness. Acceptance in the context of our yoga practice, and also off the mat, is not about ignoring things but accepting what might be in the current moment. When we tune in, when we become aware this often brings up feelings, emotions or queries that we feel like we need to rectify or change. In your practice this may be feeling around your body shape, your ability to practice a certain version of an asana or your focus in meditation or breathwork. By being aware of what our experience is we can begin to accept where we are right now.
Accepting doesn’t mean we are settling but what it does is gives a fixed point of where we are right now rather than constantly looking to change, to move on from the present moment. This is totally a lesson that we can take off of the mat.
Curiosity
I’d say my favourite element of tuning in though is curiosity. I say it a lot when I teach but as adults we’re not curious enough and by learning to tune in we can turn that curiosity onto ourselves. Tuning teaches us how to answer those questions of how do I feel, how does this feel, what is that sensation?
These aren’t easy questions to answer. A lot of us are really disconnected from ourselves due to the pace of life, not wanting to know what is going on or due to trauma responses in the body. By being curious with these questions or any other way you tune in it gives permission for any sort of response to arise. It is ok for some days there to be a solid fully formed answer and for others for you to barely feel a reaction to your questioning. That is all part of the practice
But how do we do it?
I’ve touched on a few ways that you can tune in above but for me they break down into two categories. Physical ways we can tune in and cognitive ways we can tune in
Physical ways of tuning in
- Placing your hands onto your body – the weight of your hands on your body can not only have a soothing effect on the nervous system but by feeling your own body that’s a great way of tuning into the present moment
- Feeling your feet on the earth – drawing your awareness to the soles of your feet on the earth again brings a physical awareness of yourself
- Being aware of the feeling of your breath – this may be through hands on your chest, an awareness of the movement of your ribs or the sounds of your breath. However you become aware remember it is ok to be distracted, that is all part of the awareness practice.
Cognitive ways of tuning in
- Asking yourself “how do I feel”?, “how does this feel”? – literally asking yourself the question and listening to the answer is one of the best ways of tuning in
- Listening to the sounds around you – whether music, soothing sounds or the sounds of the traffic or you busy household noticing sound can really help you tune into the present moment