Yoga - an ancient but perfect science, deals with all aspects of one’s being - from
body health to self-realisation
Yoga means “Union - the union of body with consciousness &
consciousness with the soul”
B.K.S. Iyengar, Astadala Yogamala
Through the practise of Yoga - be who you wish to be…..the very best you can be!
Helping with postural strength and core stability, Yoga helps to strengthen
the muscles through regular exercise, helping to develop;
focus of the mind,
flexibility of the body & mind
and generally helping to improve energy levels.
Within each class we will explore through Meditation, Breath work,
Asana (postures) and Relaxation within your own ability level.
It is my belief that we must let the Yoga fit our bodies rather than trying to
make our bodies fit the Yoga!
The very act of coming to the mat for your practice means that the magic
of change will begin to happen.
Small classes, online, face-2-face or 1-2-1 sessions maximise 100% achievement
within your Yoga practise and help to improve awareness of balance
and co-ordination with the practise of regular Yoga sessions.
Yoga focuses predominately on the health and flexibility of the spine
and helping to create a strong core.
Within the classes we will work on balance, forward & back bends and twists.
The spine is home to the central nervous system - the communicator between
body & brain. It senses & interprets our environment & body from the
inside and our conscious & subconscious actions.
When we practise Yoga we are conscious of our movements and our brain
tells us these conscious movements and we do them. The actions of breathing,
heart beats or digestion of food are functions without thought and are
involuntary. All these messages - spinal nerve impulses - journey to & from
the brain as it monitors and regulates these messages.
Yoga stretches and cleanses the nerves of the spinal cord clearing toxins
from the tissues, stabilising responses of the nervous system to stress.
Helping to remove persistent muscular tensions produced by stress alerts
from the nervous system and so calming involuntary symptoms of threat,
such as a racing heart, anxiety etc, which are provoked by the sympathetic
nervous system and its emergency coping system.
Breath work
Deep & controlled breathing reduces anxiety and improves mental & physical focus
Deep breathing allows the body to relax & stretch further - deepening your practise
and warming the body from the inside.
Core strength
Yoga Asanas (Postures) help to build core strength.
Slow, focused movement requires and builds a strong core.
When we contract the body we create a static contraction resistance training workout.
Flexibility and Agility
Regular practise increases flexibility and range of movement, whilst relieving
tensions in the muscles. This may help to aid any physical issues relating to muscle
tension & arthritis, and helps to promote increased mobility.
Mental benefits of Yoga
With continued Yoga practice, your mind will become more disciplined and stronger.
As your body becomes stronger, you will see physical results from regular practice
naturally causing a mental shift into the positive, helping your confidence to grow
and encouraging you in all areas of your life. A strong body requires & encourages
strong will power, determination, feelings of self worth and self respect.
As you work on strengthening postures for longer periods of time, you stretch and
build your mental strength as you challenge your limits. Balance postures help to
develop focus & concentration, enabling you to direct your energy inwards to areas
of the body that need a greater focus and healing.
You will soon notice, as your mind and body begin to work together, the effect this
has on the body e.g. an unfocused, unclear mind will show in poor physical balance.
As your co-ordination develops through using the mind to direct the body, you
become more aware of a healthy mind with body correlation, telling you which area
needs to balance, relax or stretch more.
Relaxation postures have a directly beneficial effect on the sympathetic nervous
system & this is when your body processes and re-balances after the stretch and
exercise of each posture. The para-sympathetic nervous system - known as your
‘rest & digest’- maintains & restores energy, directing blood to the digestive system
and helping to encourage healthy blood pressure, & low breath rate.
Spiritual Benefits of Yoga:
Meditation
Where the mind is cleared of all thoughts. A process through practice where the
mind detaches itself from the body & whole environment, with no awareness of
time. With practice, enlightenment and/or self-realisation can be achieved
through meditation.
Asana
Translates as ‘seat’. The aim of a regular physical yoga practice is to build a
‘solid seat’ in which we aim to guide the inward energy upwards along the spine
which is why our spine mobility is essential. Physical exercise of Yoga creates
internal energy and meditation directs the energy we create. When we are able to
sit with a straight back, achieved from a strong core, the energy we create within
us, through our Yoga practice is able to circulate within the body. Asana gives your
body the ‘seat’ in which to practice meditation without the distraction of the
physical body.
Long Hold Postures
A posture should be a firm, stable seat in which to ‘sit’, when a ‘seat’ is a comfortable,
sturdy hold, whether on the arms, hands, one or two feet or even the head! A strong
asana means a stable seat which will not collapse with time or turbulence in both
matters of the mind or body.
It is within the long holding of the postures that great transformations take place,
in both the body and even more so, the mind. When you use your mind to focus,
you will notice every detail.
These long holding postures will build strength in both body & mind. As you push
your body to its limits and move out of your comfort zone, you have no alternative
but to adapt physically and mentally. The long hold allows you to relax into a
posture and deepen the stretch. With this type of practice, all aspects of strength,
stillness and flexibility increase.