Anchor Awareness in the Present

How do you anchor awareness in the present when the mind is constantly racing? In Season 1, Episode 2 of Yin Yoga to Slow Down, instructor Corina Benner invites you to step onto the mat for a deeply restorative session. This corina benner yin yoga practice is specifically designed to help you transition from a state of constant doing into a state of pure being.

By blending a mindfulness yin yoga practice with pranayama, this session serves as a practical present moment awareness meditation. You will begin with nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) to balance your energy before moving into deep, passive holds like praying mantis, child's pose, and head-to-knee variations. This yin yoga level 1-2 sequence focuses on opening the shoulders and the sides of the body, releasing physical tension where stress often accumulates. Through anchoring the mind in yoga, you learn to observe sensations without judgment, making this an ideal yin yoga for concentration and mental clarity.

Yin yoga invites us to slow down and meet ourselves exactly where we are. Unlike more active, muscular styles of yoga, this practice targets the deeper connective tissues—the fascia, ligaments, and joints. By holding poses for several minutes at a time, you create space not only in your physical body but also in your mind. This deliberate pace allows deep-seated tension in the shoulders and side body to gently unwind, while providing a quiet container to observe the rise and fall of thoughts.

Cultivating Physical and Mental Spaciousness

• Calm the Nervous System: Practice nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) to balance your left and right hemispheres, quiet mental chatter, and prepare the mind for deep stillness.
• Release Upper Body Tension: Open the shoulders and side body through targeted, passive postures like praying mantis and child's pose, allowing gravity to do the work of releasing deep-seated physical tightness.
• Enhance Mental Focus: Use slow, deliberate holds to cultivate concentration, learning to anchor your attention on the breath and physical sensations as they arise and dissolve.

Gather your blocks and a blanket to support your body, and begin your exploration of deep stillness and presence today.