Developing independent practice

We should try to practise so that every visit to the mat is a ritual revision of living mindfully. 
Whatever state of mind we are in and no matter how tough it was to drag ourselves to practise, try to be really present.  
Whether you are energised and wanting to go straight into some fast sun salutations and standing poses or exhausted and needing 'savasana', take a moment to make the transition to the time you have set aside.
Notice your mind/emotions and how chaotic or sluggish your thoughts are.
Notice your body, the tension you might feel and where it is.
Notice your breath, how fast it is and where in your body you notice it.
Observe yourself in whatever position you are in, earth below supporting, space above and around.
Set an intention for your practice in that moment of observing, just being aware of who might benefit from a calmer or stronger you, just telling yourself that 'you are enough' or holding in your mind something that you want for someone you care for or those you empathise with.
When you start to move, notice what movements your body wants and how.  Don't impose a pace of action or breath on the body, let it emerge.  If you notice you are holding your breath, try to focus particularly on that, so that it keeps flowing.  Holding breath will inevitably mean holding tension and that should be done as and when you want and not unconsciously.
In any new position be aware again of your points of contact with the earth.  Build the pose up from the earth.
Be aware of the sky above you and sense the space all around you.
As you feel the breath entering and leaving the body, notice the expansion and contraction and the way we draw energy to the core of our being from our connection with our breath.

We breathe in ‘prana’ (life force) and are aware of it penetrating us and every atom of the space around us and through our moving meditation we feel one with our universe.  We connect to the energy that moves within and without ourselves and practise without strain or force.  By listening to and observing our bodies and taking sustenance from the air we breathe, expanding in to the space around us, we move uninhibitedly, joyfully.  

We come to a yoga class to work and to be guided through the poses because there is a supportive environment and we will be able to focus on a voice or a demonstration telling us what to do.  In our own practice, we may find that despite making a mindful transition to our poses, our mind wanders.  So we continue to bring it gently back to awareness of the breath, of the instructions that we give the body to be balanced evenly on both feet or sitting bones, to keep knees or elbows soft, to lengthen through the crown, engage the belly and pelvic floor on the outbreath etc.

If we continually, without judgement, bring the mind back to the job in hand of being present in the pose, we are developing this ability to mindfully focus in all areas of our life.  Through constantly feeling the duality - inbreath/outbreath, earth/sky, left/right, up/down, open/close, front/back, tension/release, active/passive, give/take, it begins to inform everything we do and we become our own teacher.  We confidently develop the ability to respond to conditions as they arise.  Every queue could be a ‘tadasana - mountain pose', every sitting - a ‘dandasana - staff pose’, until every short moment becomes its own practice and through our yoga practice we learn how to respond in every moment. ​