I have not been a good yoga student lately. My head is not in the game. I’m surprised I haven’t had to pay more for the extra baggage I’ve been bringing with me to class—stressful thoughts from the day, all the items I didn’t accomplish on my to-do list, the errands I still need to run, and whether I have anything yummy in my fridge to eat after class. I’m a classic type-A personality, so it’s hard for me to come down and be in the moment during yoga class.

When I lose my focus, I sometimes miss the instructors’ directions and find myself turned to the left while the rest of the class is facing me, turned to the right. It makes it extremely difficult to focus on balancing poses, and forget about keeping my breathing steady.

Seriously, I feel like going to yoga class with a cluttered head is like going to church drunk. It totally goes against everything yoga is supposed to be about—being in the present, focusing on your body and your breath, and growing spiritually. It’s why I love yoga so much for the relaxing state and sense of calm that it brings to my life both on and off the mat.

My focus factor issue really hit me when I was lying in savasana last week and, instead of getting into a deep state of relaxation, I was thinking about a new tag line for a client. That’s when I knew I needed to make a change.

I really want to grow deeper in my yoga practice and know I cannot do this until I come to class with a clear head. Since the month of September is National Yoga Month, I’m going to use this month to turn a few things around. I’m going to make a point to get to class earlier so I have a chance to catch my breath, calm down, and set my intentions for my practice. I’ll use this time to get a jump start on my pranayama breathing and to turn off the clutter in my mind.

What are you doing to celebrate National Yoga Month? I’d love to hear about any special activities being planned to celebrate Yoga Month or a special intention you are going to make to your yoga practice.

If you have a great way to clear the clutter from your mind before beginning your yoga practice, please leave a comment and let me know about it.

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