2. Centering

Centering at the beginning of a practice is a time of transition from thinking and doing to sensing and being.  You want to turn your focus from the outside world to your inner world.  Harnessing the mind can be difficult, as we have so many thoughts flowing through our consciousness.

Often yoga students will simply sit or lay still for several minutes during centering.

But sometimes the yoga teacher will share a visualization during this portion of the practice to help quiet the mind.  The following examples are typical of what may be offered in a Restorative yoga class.

Clouds
Notice the thoughts that arise in your mind. As each thought comes, imagine placing it on a cloud, and watch it drift away…
As you continue this practice, you will discover that your thoughts have more space between them, and you don’t have to place as many on clouds.
The mind can be difficult to harness, but 5 minutes in this cloud visualization will help to quiet your mind.

Photograph
Visualize looking at yourself in a photograph from a time or imagine a time when you were grounded -- safe, relaxed and at ease.
Where are you?
What do you look like?
How does it feel to be grounded?

Welcome
Imagine being welcomed by someone with great warmth. This could be a friend, family member, mentor, favorite teacher, or even a pet. If you had a video of this reception, what would you look like?
What is the expression on your face?
What is the position of your body?
What does it feel like to safe and welcomed?

Straw
Visualize yourself sitting in a pool of white light. Then visualize your spine as a straw.
Inhale: Imagine you are sipping the white light from the base of your spine upwards.
Exhale: Let the white light flow down your spine.
With each breath, the while light moves up and down the “straw” of your spine.

White Light *May be helpful for cancer or pain patients.* 
Visualize where the cancer cells or pain is in your body. Imagine a while light enveloping the cancer cells or your pain and eradicating them. Follow the white light as it moves throughout your body.
Inhale: say “white”
Exhale: say “light”
Continue until you feel you have gotten to each cancer cell or area of pain in your body. 

Ocean
Visualize an immense ocean before you … and rolling into and out of your vision are waves … Rising up out of the ocean are the waves… they rise up … then they dissolve back into the ocean… waves coming and going … rising … falling … As you focus on the ocean, notice that the ocean is not changed in any way by the waves. Waves may come & go, but the ocean remains … vast … endless …
Now imagine you are a vast ocean of awareness … mirrored inside of you is a vast ocean, right in the middle of your chest…. And every thought, every sensation, every idea you have of who you are or what it’s all about, see all of that now as waves, … coming and going… thoughts, sensations, plans, memories, hopes, and fears rise like waves in your body … and then disappear …
Waves rise up out of your awareness and sink back into your awareness… resting in awareness … vast and endless …
Resting here in awareness … consciousness … just being present to this moment, notice what arises: life … death … coming … going … joy … sorrow … All of it rising and falling, … as you rest on the waves of awareness … you are as vast and endless as the ocean … aware and at rest …

Elevator
Envision your body as a 3 story building.
· The third floor is the crown of your head to your shoulders.
· The second floor is your shoulders to your belly.
· The first floor is your belly to your toes. Now imagine an elevator descending one floor at a time beginning at the crown of your head.

Exhale: Envision the elevator lowering from the crown to the shoulders.
Inhale: Envision the doors opening, fresh light and air rushing in.
Exhale: Let your weight sink into the earth, drawing you down another floor to your belly.
Inhale: The doors open, fresh air rushes in.
Exhale: Continue to the first floor, your toes.
Inhale: Refreshing breath rushes in.
The doors open; imagine a loved one greets you.
Place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly. Feel the flow of your breath. Welcome yourself to your practice.