What is Ekagrata?

This morning, I was with one of my lovely clients and we focused on "ekagrata" in our practice.

Our session inspired me to share this word and what it means to yoga and to our lives. 

Ekagrata is a sanskrit word meaning "one-pointedness". It is the intent pursuit of one object, with close and undisturbed attention. 

Today, as we are stimulated with multiple devices (from our phones, to our computers, and now to our watches!) we find ourselves running in circles in this hectic pace of life. We have so  much going on at once with a hundred things on our to do list. It just seems to never end...

...Until we are able to take a deep breath and practice ekagrata. 

Getting on our mat and practicing yoga is an opportunity to relearn how to just do one thing at a time and be present. Whether it's focusing on engaging your leg muscles or making sure your arms are straight or simply focusing on your breath, all we have to do is one thing, in that moment, with focus and commitment. 

As we practice ekagrata more and more on our mat, we then start to bring this practice into our daily lives. This focus, this commitment to be present, starts to transform our mind. It gives us clarity. It gives us space. Ekagrata is like a mental cleansing, making us feel more alive and awake.

Each time you practice being present, each time you train your mind, you become more mindful. Things become more clear. You react to situations from a calm place of clarity, confidence, and truth. You begin to fully experience life and see the beauty around you.

So when life starts to get busy and you feel overwhelmed, remember that you don't have to do everything all at once. Focus on one thing. Ekagrata. And the universe will support you when you're ready to move on to the next thing.