What is yoga?
Yoga is an ancient form of exercise that focuses on strength, flexibility and breathing to boost physical and mental wellbeing. The main components of yoga are postures (a series of movements designed to increase strength and flexibility) and breathing. The practice originated in India about 5,000 years ago, and has been adapted into many styles and forms.
What are the health benefits of yoga?
There have been many scientific trials of varying quality, which have been published on yoga, most studies suggest yoga is a safe and effective way to increase physical activity especially strength, flexibility and balance. There is some evidence that regular yoga practice is beneficial for people with high blood pressure, heart disease, aches and pains including lower back pain and depression and stress.
Last updated Jan. 15, 2017, 5:09 p.m. UTC
Having started my own personal Yogic journey over 20 years ago, I often fondly reflect on the wonderful teachers who have influenced not only my own personal practice but also the style in which I now teach. From the Vanda Scaravelli inspired teachers (Diane Long, Jenny Beeken, Bill Wood, John Stirk) to Peter Blackaby, Sue Delf and Ginny Kempster, Lorraine Grocott and many others to name a few.
The style of Yoga I teach is Hatha yoga, with the subtle influences of the above teachers included. Hatha yoga is the foundation on which the classes are taught, Hatha yoga refers to a set of physical exercises (known as asanas or postures), and sequences of asanas designed to align your skin, muscles and bones. The postures are also designed to open the many channels of the body, especially the main channel, the spine, so that energy can flow freely. Through regular self exploration you may notice a renewed confidence in one's own body, encouraged by renewed strength and flexibility and by improved breathing techniques, which bring renewed energy for the whole body and mind.
Throughout the class I encourage students to explore how they are feeling and what they are experiencing and not to be concerned with achieving anything other than an enjoyable yogic experience. Students and teachers a like, are both on a continued journey together, by sharing your experiences can only bring a gift of knowledge to be passed on to all. For me yoga is an integral part of life as it opens up the possibilities of discovering new and changing aspects of ones own self through gentle self exploration of the mind, body and breath. The practice of yoga can bring a relaxed approach to today's overwhelming day to day pressures of life.
