84: Yoga Philosophy, Focus & Performance with Dr. Daya Grant

Whether we are athletes or not, we all have areas in our lives where we want to perform well. Today host Rachel speaks with returning guest Dr. Daya Grant about how aspects of yoga philosophy can help us do that – by improving our focus and concentration.

Dr. Grant helps athletes and other high performers train their brains with the same care they invest in training their bodies. She draws heavily on the yoga techniques of Pratyahara and Dharana to help athletes focus on what they CAN control, cultivate intuition and prevent burnout. In this episode, she shares practical ways you can connect to these techniques.

Listen in to hear how simply connecting to your feet or choosing where to rest your gaze can completely change your response to a heightened situation, why Dr. Grant encourages athletes to journal, and a range of other yoga tools that you can harness to improve your performance, whatever your ambition.

“Have that richness and texture in our life experience, but we need to balance it and it’s so important that we do that to cultivate intuition, to prevent burnout.” – Dr. Daya Grant

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By practicing Pratyahara and Dharana we are strengthening the muscle for Self Two, our intuition, our deepest knowing to speak up and to have more of a voice really so that then we can take action that is best for moving towards our goals.” – Dr. Daya Grant

Show Notes:

• Improved performance isn’t just for elite athletes [2:21]
• Fresh definitions of Pratyahara and Dharana [3:38]
• Practical examples of Pratyahara and its benefits [6:21]
• “Self One” and “Self Two” [12:13]
• More tools to “reverse the flow” [15:35]
• Training the brain is as important as training the body [21:36]
• Understanding Dharana [25:38]
• Using breath work for improved focus: challenges and tips [30:48]
• Self-talk, and finding strength in self-compassion [34:23]
• Communicating helpful concepts like surrender to athletes [40:10]
• The power of practice [43:41]
• Harnessing the tool of imagery [45:55]
• Final takeaways [51:14]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Yoga Medicine Podcast Episode 47: Concussion Care
• Yoga for Concussions Online Course
• Connect with Dr. Daya Grant:

Instagram | Daya Grant

“There’s got to be some allowing and softening and if you can experience that physically in the body with the breath then maybe that concept becomes a little bit easier for you to wrap your head around when it comes to focus.” – Rachel Land