Window of tolerance as it relates to our yoga practice

Transcript

hi friends I'd like to talk to you about a little awareness training in our yoga practice and in life some of you may be aware of this term window of tolerance it's used in therapy and when I came across this model it gave words to something that I've really experienced in my yoga practice and then gave me something I could work with and share with students I'd like to share with you now so if you picture the quality of your awareness when you are awake alert engaged and able to take in information I think we all know what this feels like and it's optimal so it's a good way to to be and react and work in the world and if you think about that as being the middle of this window and then on one side would be overwhelmed too much stimulation I can't take it all in I feel stressed you know a little of that can be arousing like having a small level of stress and having things be a little bit too challenging but once it crosses over to too much it kind of goes into tunnel vision you might start to feel a fight-or-flight definitely not a great place to make decisions from it's hard to take in new information and I know for me it definitely doesn't feel very good so on the other side of the spectrum is boredom low arousal you might feel sleepy checked out again not optimal not a great place to take in information and thrive from so in one's yoga practice one of the things that you can track is the quality of your attention now I notice that in newer students when you're newer to yoga there might be a little bit more overwhelmed so much information is coming at you it's like I can't take it all in so how do you go from overwhelm back to presence so for me it's reminding myself things like I can't know what I don't know or I don't need to be able to do things I can't do it's a kind of delaying feeling my breath especially a slow deep exhale coming back and feeling where my body touches the floor so some simple tips to just come back to presence and understand I don't need to be able to do more than I can do and then if I can feel my breath I can feel where I am now I'm back in that window of presence or window of Tolerance and I'll be able to more effectively make choices like how do I do this pose or how do I ask for help or maybe grabbing a block or bending my knee may be useful now on the other side boredom and this happens more in a seasoned practice if you've been practicing for a long time you may know the poses enough that you come to it's like Oh triangle I know this and then the minds off you're kind of sleepy it's boring maybe I should try something else yoga's not it so how do we go back from boredom to presence is curiosity what is there to notice what is there to feel start with breath again that's a good place can I feel that I am breathing I'm always breathing can I feel it and then what is there newness waking up to the subtlety that's always there and that just can open up so much taking poses taking situations that you've done many times before and and waking up again inside of them this might be a good exercise to do with the people in your house you know the the people you see every day that you think you know them you think you know what they look like you think you know who they are to look at them with new eyes and really come back in and awaken to the magnificence of the mystery like that you can never really fully know so coming back to this idea of a spectrum you know for me in the beginning in my yoga practice that window was so small is like I'm overwhelmed I'm overwhelmed or oh now I know it and then I'm bored so how to open up to more of the practice and when I say practice is all metaphor for life as well more of the practice more of the situations more of the light that I can take in this situation as it is whether it's boring or complex or familiar unfamiliar and open up into full awake alert awareness and so the breath again from either side of the spectrum is a good place to come back to presence can I feel that I am breathing if I was in overwhelm it brings me back into my body and then maybe once I'm present I can go into curiosity so I don't just bump right into boredom from boredom can I feel that I'm breathing and then what else can I feel and notice and I can fill up my present moment awareness with newness and there's always plenty of newness if you look for it so hopefully that's useful as you're practicing maybe even just as you're going through your day how's the quality of your attention where would you put yourself are you smack in presence or are you leaning towards overwhelm or boredom and if you are on one side or the other what are some simple ways to come back so hopefully that's useful enjoy