Focus & Concentration.

Life can get hectic with things to do, people to see and places to go. There’s always something that needs doing and we can get caught up in this without even realising it.  Have you ever moved into a different room to get something and then you can’t remember what you were there for in the first place? A classic example of lack of focus and concentration. You’re physically there but mentally miles away.

Outside distractions drastically alter our ability to concentrate and then there’s the whole other aspect of phones, TVs, tablets, laptops, and social media which can absorb our attention and side track us from being fully present in our day-to-day lives. So being mindful is key to living in the present moment and presence is key to concentration and staying focused.

Yoga brings our awareness to the here and now and by focusing our attention on our breath, the movement and challenging poses will in turn improve our concentration.

Yoga links breath with motion and becoming fully present in mind and body. The practice itself is centered on concentration – focus on the breath, the alignment and movement of the body.

Balancing poses in yoga are great for improving these areas; we are forced to become present, concentrate and focus to maintain our balance to prevent ourselves from falling over. You’ve probably heard the word ‘dristi’ before which is Sanskrit for focused gaze and means developing concentrated intention. By focusing on a fixed point, you will notice that the body will automatically settle, add in intentional breathing and standing on one leg or any other balanced pose will become that little bit easier. Try it out when you have a moment today and see how you feel. Notice the difference in your body as you bring your gaze to rest on a point, breathing as you go.

Focus and concentration are two very important traits that are needed in Sport, daily life, training etc. if we didn’t have either, we’d be in a spot of bother and menial tasks would seem like an ordeal. We’d also waste a huge amount of time!

If you do feel that your mind wanders and things distract you easily, maybe try out a yoga class and see how it makes you feel. When you get into the gym or onto the pitch for a match, see how a focused mind can elevate your performance.st standing on one leg while waiting for the kettle to boil.