The Best Way to Improve Your Practice is Self-Study
By Stephanie Smith
During Rise + Vibe’s Online Yoga Teacher Training currently in session, one of the exercises we were given was to take photos or videos of ourselves in the Ashtanga standing sequence. The goal was to capture what our poses looked like at the beginning of training, and help us memorize information about each posture.
Admittedly this was not my favorite assignment. I am actually quite shy and don’t like seeing myself on camera. I don’t post a ton of myself in poses on my Instagram feed. In fact, most pictures I take of myself in yoga are from far back, so I look like a small gnat in a vast space. But, homework is homework, so I pressed on.
Boy, was it helpful. After viewing the clips, I saw things about my postures that I’d never discovered. I saw how much I slam weight into my heels when I’m in a forward fold, and how much closer I can get my hands to the ground if I rock more weight forward into the balls of my feet. I saw where I needed to extend my arm in triangle pose to hold it at 90 degrees. And I studied and refined my downward dog, working on my feet placement, my back extension and even where my drishti point should be.
Though I found things I could refine, I also simply noted what my postures looked like, and how my body felt when I was in them.
Filming yourself isn’t about finding flaws, it’s about awareness of your body. When I’m teaching, I’m focused on everyone else’s posture. When I’m at home doing online classes with other instructors, I’m looking at my instructors, not myself, on a screen. But to film and study my own practice was a great way to note where in space my body is as I’m flowing.
So the next time you come to your mat, see if you can record yourself or take photos of yourself while practicing. Pay attention to a sequence or two and check out your form. Record and review it, but avoid criticizing every part of each posture (in fact, here’s a challenge: write down or note two positive things and one or two elements to work on in your postures or sequence). Maybe you do this routinely every few months or so to check in with your form. Or once a year. Or never again! Either way, you’ll be surprised what you find about your practice.
Remember, the goal is awareness, not criticism, for this exercise. It’s also a great mantra for any type of self-study.
Oh, and don’t forget to smile in your photos--there, that’s one positive thing you can note in your clips!
OM parama prema rupaya namaha
A mantra for self-love + confidence
A mantra for divine truth