SO WHAT DO WE DO IN A YOGA CLASS?
AT FIRST YOU WILL NEED TO LEARN THE SIMPLE METHOD OF UNITING MIND BODY AND BREATH; TAKING YOUR CONCENTRATION INSIDE THE BODY TO FOCUS ON SENSATION AND THE MOVEMENT THAT RESULTS FROM BREATHING OR THE JOURNEY OF THE BREATH ITSELF. WE WILL MOSTLY PRACTICE ASANA, THE POSTURES OF YOGA. YOU WILL LEARN A SERIES OF EXERCISES THAT WILL HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOUR BODY WORKS IN MOVEMENT AND HOW TO CLEVERLY MAKE IMPROVEMENTS IN ITS STRENGTH AND ELASTICITY. YOU WILL LEARN TO BREATH BOTH IN TECHNICAL TERMS AND ALSO HOW YOUR BREATHING INFLUENCES THE WAY YOU FEEL. MEDITATION AND MANTRA ARE OTHER SKILLS AND PRACTICES THAT WE WILL WORK WITH.
THERE ARE MANY STYLES OF ASANA PRACTICE. I TEACH IN A THERAPEUTIC WAY. STUDENTS OFTEN ARRIVE AT CLASS WITH SOMETIMES LONG STANDING MUSCLE OR JOINT PAIN. YOGA IS A REALLY EXCELLENT WAY TO HELP STRENGTHEN AND REPAIR IN A VERY SAFE WAY.
THE GREAT THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT YOGA IS FOR EVERYONE! YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT HOW STRONG, FIT, HEALTHY AND SUPPLE YOU CAN BE AT FIFTY, SIXTY, SEVENTY AND BEYOND. SO IF YOU ARE AN OLDER PERSON PLEASE DO NOT THINK THAT YOU CANNOT DO YOGA. YOU MAY OFTEN PUT US YOUNGER FOLK TO SHAME WITH YOUR CAPABILITIES.
I'M OVER WEIGHT CAN I DO YOGA?
FOR THOSE OF YOU HOPING TO EITHER LOOSE OR MAINTAIN YOUR CURRENT WEIGHT YOGA IS AN EXCELLENT COMPLIMENTARY ACTIVITY TO A HEALTHY DIET AND REGULAR EXERCISE. YOGA POSTURES WORK FROM TOP TO TOE AND CAN BE PRACTICED IN A STRONG WAY TO MAKE THE BODY LEAN AND STRONG. WEIGHT CONTROL IS ALL ABOUT HOW MUCH GOES IN BALANCED BY HOW MUCH IS BURNED OFF. FAT TAKES SOME SHIFTING AND YOU MAY FIND YOGA AN EXCELLENT WAY TO HELP GIVE YOU CONFIDENCE TO RETURN TO EXERCISE, OR TO BE A MORE GENTLE ACTIVITY BETWEEN AEROBICS OR CARDIO VASCUALAR WORK OUTS.
I'M PREGNANT CAN I DO YOGA?
YOGA IS A WONDERFUL ACTIVITY FOR PREGNANT MUMS. POSTURES ARE MADE A LITTLE MORE GENTLE TO FIT WITH LOOKING AFTER MUM AND BABY AND THE BREATH WORK AND MEDITATION REALLY HELP WITH RELAXATION WHILE THE POSTURES RELEASE TENSION FROM BODY AND LIMBS. YOU CAN SAFELY PRACTICE AFTER THE FIRST TRIMESTER (10-12 WEEKS). IN THE FIRST WEEKS OF PREGNANCY STRONG COMPRESSIONS,TWISTS, STRETCHES IN THE ABDOMEN SHOULD BE AVOIDED. YOUR EXERCISE REGIME SHOULD AT THAT TIME GIVE CHANCE FOR THE BABY TO BEGIN TO SAFELY GROW AND AVOID THE RISK OF EXERCISE INDUCED MISCARRIAGE OR OTHER POTENTIAL HARM TO YOUR BABY. WHEN PREGNANT YOUR ATTITUDE TO EXERCISE MUST CHANGE. ALWAYS CONSIDER YOUR BABY IN WHATEVER IT IS YOU CHOOSE TO DO. PLEASE GET IN TOUCH IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR FOR FURTHER DETAILS OF THE KIND OF THINGS WE DO IN YOGA FOR PREGNANCY.
PERSISTANT SPORTS INJURIES OR THE AVOIDANCE OF INJURY IS ONE OF THE BEST REASONS TO PRACTICE YOGA. CONSTANT WORK OUTS MAINTAINED FOR YEARS ON END DO NOT GIVE TIME FOR THE MUSCLES AND JOINTS TO REPAIR. EVENTUALLY THEY WILL FAIL AND THAT HURTS - LOTS! IF YOU ARE ACTIVE IN SPORTS AND ARE NOT STRETCHING YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED YOU WILL GET INJURED. THINGS COULD GET SO BAD THAT YOU MAY HAVE TO RETIRE FROM PARTICIPATION. COME TO YOGA
I'M NOT VERY SUPPLE
VERY FEW PEOPLE ARE AS SUPPLE AS THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE WHEN THEY FIRST START YOGA CLASSES. DO'NT WORRY YOUR CLAASES ARE STRUCTURED TO ACCOMODATE EVERY STUDENTWHETHER THEY HAVE PRACTICED FOR YEARS OR IF IT IS THEIR FIRST WEEK. WE BEGIN YOGA PRACTICE BUILDINGSTRENGTH AND SUPPLENESS.IT IS A GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT. SOME THINGS CAN FEEL STRONG ,SOME FEEL GENTLE. THROUGH CLEARLYUNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WHY YOU FEEL AS YOU DOIT WILL MAKE YOUR YOGA EXPERIENCE AN ENJOYABLE ONE.ITS MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU FELL THAN HOW FAR YOU CAN STRETCH.
I SUFFER WITH ANXIETY, STRESS, PANIC ATTACKS, DEPRESSION
IN TERMS OF MENTAL HEALTH YOGA IS FANTASTIC. FROM PANIC ATTACKS AND DEPRESSION TO ASBERGERS SYNDROME AND EPILEPSY POSTURES, BREATHING, MANTRA AND MEDITATION HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE OF GREAT VALUE IN BOTH UNDERSTANDING A CONDITION AND LIVING AND WORKING WITH IT. THE TECHNIQUES USED IN YOGA POSTURES WILL RESULT IN MIND BODY AND BREATHING BECOMING DEEPLY RELAXED. YOU WILL LEARN HOW YOU CAN USE YOUR YOGA SKILLS TO OVERCOME YOUR PROBLEMS. YOGA WILL ALLOW YOUR PERSPECTIVE TO CHANGE AND YOU WILL BE IN A BETTER PLACE AFTER YOU PRACTICE.
I I HAVE A BAD BACK, ARTHRITIS, JOINT PAIN OR AN INJURY?
THE SEVERITY OF ANY OF THE ABOVE SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH YOUR G. P., CHIROPRACTOR, PHYSIOTHERAPIST OR OSTEOPATHPRIOR TO ATTENDING YOGA CLASSES. WITH THEIR SPECIALIST MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE THEY CAN TELL YOU IF IT IT WISE OR SAFE TO TAKE A YOGA CLASSAND THE TYPES OF MOVEMENT TO AVOID. CERTAIN YOGA EXERCISES CAN BE CONTRAINDICATED FOR SPECIFIC AILMENTS AND NEED TO BE AVOIDED. YOU MUST ALWAYS TELL YOUR YOGA TEACHER ABOUT YOUR HELATH.
WHAT TO WEAR?
THIS CAN BE SEASONAL. ON A WARM SUMMER'S DAY SHORTS AND A T SHIRT, IN AUTUMN AND WINTER JOGGING BOTTOMS. A SWEATER AND SOCKS TO WRAP UP WARM WHEN WE LAY FOR RELAXATION. SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO BRING A CAR RUG OR BLANKET TO COVER UP WITH IN RELAXATION. IT IS A USEFUL BIT OF KIT FOR KNEELING ON ALSO.
SO YOU CAN SEE FAT OR THIN, SICK OR HEALTHY, FIT OR A COUCH POTATO YOGA IS FOR EVERYBODY AND EVERYBODY COMES TO YOGA.
