Yoga is a Sanskrit word which means 'union' or 'to yoke'.  Yoga can be thought of as the union of the mind, body and spirit which can bring a feeling of balance, harmony and well-being.  It is believed that yoga originated in India over 5,000 years ago, this holistic system of living has evolved over many years and is now practised worldwide.  The ancient yogic texts provide guidelines, ideas and philosophy for a healthy and ethical way of living.

 

Practising yoga encourages both the physical body and the mind to become calm and relaxed and therefore stronger and healthier from the release of stress.  By working with the physical body with yoga, we can make real and positive changes not only to our physical health, but also start to gain a sense of mental and emotional wellbeing and a quieter mind.  The mind affects the body, and the body affects the mind.

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What are the benefits of yoga? 

 

Flexibility

Yoga helps to improve the range of motion of joints and muscles.  Your posture/alignment can improve by stretching out short or tight muscles.  Over time short muscles can pull bones out of their natural skeletal alignment and cause aches and pains.

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Strength

Many yoga asanas are weight bearing which encourages the bones to stay strong and healthy.  Yoga helps with finding the balance between flexibility and strength.

 

Breathing

Yoga breathing techniques 'pranayama' encourages awareness of the breath and this helps us to practice full deep breathing naturally.  Pranayama helps alleviate stress and anxiety and bringing our minds back to the present rather than stressing about the past or future.

 

Relaxation

The physical postures and breathing techniques encourages the body and mind to fully relax.

 

Before Class

Leave 2 hours after a heavy meal and 1 hour after a snack before attending a class.

 

What to wear/bring:

Wear loose/stretchy clothing.

Bring a blanket and a yoga block if you have one, I provide yoga bricks, belts and lavendar eye pillows.

Yoga is practised in bare feet but socks can be worn for some of the practice during the warm up & cool down.

Layers are a good idea as the body may get warm during posture work then cool down again during relaxation.

 

During the lesson

Each lesson typically begins with a sequence of warm up postures and includes strengthening, dynamic and static asanas, pranayama techniques and we finish with a relaxation at the end of the class.  During a lesson I will demonstrate some poses but will also, observe and offer individual adjustments rather than just practising alongside my students for the whole session.

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It’s important to not compete with others or push yourself too hard in class but to work safely within your own limits.