I’ve been living in Neutral Bay for nearly two years now, and I’ve always been meaning to start yoga at Power Living – just up the road from my place. So convenient. Yet, it was only two weeks ago that I finally made the leap and joined. I knew it would be a big commitment, as I suspected that I would love it and want to do it a lot, but last year I was doing… other things.
Like Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar program and Michelle Bridges’ 12 Week Body Transformation (read my final post about both here). I loved these programs and got a lot out of them – but for my objectives, I found that long-term what I needed most was a relaxant. I lead a pretty fast-paced life and find stimulation daily through my work and social life. I needed something to balance that out, and enable me to wind down and relax at the end of the day (something that sounds so simple, yet is actually one of the most difficult things for many of us to do).
For me, yoga provides a way for me to completely switch off from every day life at the same time as exercising my body to release pent up energy, and stay fit and healthy.
But it’s also a lot more than that. The yoga that I do is in 30-degree heat and is called Vinyasa – power yoga. The studio puts it like this:
Vinyasa – Dive into your breath, step out of your mind and transform your life. Shakshin; developing the strength of the inner witness. hot = 30degrees
It’s different to other forms of exercise because it provides a certain type of ‘flow’. The flow seems to loosen up tension and sources of tightness across the body, and lets them drain and spread out evenly. The 30-degree heat, while it may sound harsh, is actually useful in that it assists with the detoxifying process as well as loosening up the muscles for better stretching.
When I do this type of yoga in the morning, I remain in the ‘flow’ for the rest of the day. It’s not to say that things don’t stress me out and issues don’t arise; it’s more that I don’t buy into them as much. I am more able to step back and distance myself from sources of tension, and also to deal with them better and switch off afterwards.
Everything seems a little bit simpler, while my body gets longer, leaner and stronger. I find it is a great way to work out and unwind simultaneously.
I love it and am finding it personally transformational. According to Yoga Journal:
“If you’re a passionate yoga practitioner, you’ve probably noticed the ways yoga works—maybe you’re sleeping better or getting fewer colds or just feeling more relaxed and at ease. But if you’ve ever tried telling a newbie how it works, you might find that explanations like “It increases the flow of prana” or “It brings energy up your spine” fall on deaf or skeptical ears.
“As it happens, Western science is starting to provide some concrete clues as to how yoga works to improve health, heal aches and pains, and keep sickness at bay. Once you understand them, you’ll have even more motivation to step onto your mat, and you probably won’t feel so tongue-tied the next time someone wants Western proof.”
Read more of the article and find out how yoga improves your health here.
Have you tried yoga? What did you think?
