Paying Attention
Photo by Simon Migaj on Unsplash
Audio Version
When I teach a yoga class or lead a workshop in Leadership Yoga, I have a usual way of beginning. Whether we are standing or in a seated position, we start as we began this series with our breath. The second component of the start of a yoga class is letting our breath help with our self-awareness. So this week’s five essays are an exploration of self-awareness and the meditations will be opportunities to explore understanding ourselves.
The dictionary definition of self-awareness is “conscious knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives, and desires.” Psychologists Shelley Duval and Robert Wicklund are credited with developing the theory of self-awareness in 1972. According to their theory, “when we focus our attention on ourselves, we evaluate and compare our current behavior to our internal standards and values”. They saw it as a method of self-control. And Daniel Goleman of emotional intelligence fame defines it as “knowing one’s internal states, preference, resources, and intuitions.” https://positivepsychology.com/self-awareness-matters-how-you-can-be-more-self-aware/
In a yoga class, “being self-aware on the mat means recognizing how you feel at any one moment; how your body and mind are reacting to the practice. In any given posture your yoga teacher might give you the opportunity to ‘notice how you feel’. This is your chance to actively tune in to how your body and your mind are reacting to this pose. Do you feel comfortable? Do you feel vulnerable? Do you feel discomfort? Are you OK with that discomfort or is it making you panic/fidget / berate yourself? Are you pushing yourself? Can you breathe properly? Are you struggling to focus, or do you feel actually very calm? Whatever comes up, the key to self-awareness is that you recognize your physical, and mental/emotional, feelings.” https://www.yougodoyoga.com/blog/2018/5/16/lessons-from-yoga-self-awareness
On the mat
In yoga class, we develop physical skills as we move through the various postures. However, if we also take the time to pay attention to our inner experience while moving through the postures, it improves our experience of the class. Noticing our reactions to the movements, what is more or less challenging on this particular day, or what emotions came did you experience. Remembering to engage our breath as we move through the class is a way to stay present and aware of our experiences in class.
The true benefit of yoga begins when we take what we learn in class ‘on the mat’ into the rest of our life ‘off the mat.’ The practice of paying attention to our experiences during class helps us develop skills for paying attention outside of class and to deepen our understanding of the way we react to the twists and turns of life. Self-awareness helps us choose how we react to what comes at us. Well developed attention or self-awareness helps us be more consistent at matching our actions to our values.
On the mat, there are always postures that are difficult. Sometimes, postures we feel we have mastered suddenly become challenging again for many reasons or no reason in particular. Paying attention in class doesn’t mean everything is easy, but it does help us learn and grow when things are difficult. Off the mat, self-awareness doesn’t make life easier. In some cases, it may make life more challenging because we aren’t ignoring or minimizing what we are experiencing. However, research shows that self-awareness is an overall benefit because it helps us choose our reactions rather than be passive. It’s also a predictor of success in leadership and necessary for multi-cultural competency just to name a few reasons to start paying attention.
In our current situation, paying attention to our reactions, trying to understand them, and identify them correctly is an important component of coping with all that is coming at us. This week is an opportunity to undertake the practice of self-awareness with all its challenges and benefits.