Many people associate yoga with some of the extreme contortions which sometimes appear in the media – what I often call ‘pretzel legs’. However yoga’s many and varied postures, referred to as ‘asana’, form just one aspect of a full yoga practice. They do not have to consist of contortions at all and are often simple movements, and are in themselves an excellent way to keep the body healthy. They encourage a wide range of movement, promoting flexibility, strength, stability and stamina, bringing benefits to all muscles and joints, particularly the deep ‘core’ muscles which support the spine. Unlike other forms of physical exercise, yoga postures are also designed to improve the function of glands, internal organs and all internal systems. Focus, determination and resilience are just some of the qualities cultivated by performing these poses. The objective is not achieving the ‘perfect’ pose, but to explore our best version of a pose, balancing effort/stability (sthira) with ease/comfort (sukha), noting the details as we work.
Yoga, however, can take us so much further. By mobilising the body and focusing on these asana, yoga can free the mind. Now more than ever in our society, perhaps, our minds are often over-stimulated by the modern 24/7 mentality which can engulf us, causing mental exhaustion, stress, sleep disorders and contributing to a plethora of physical and mental problems, to a greater or lesser effect. By working mindfully through the physical postures and by focusing on our breath we can reduce muscular tension, begin to de-stress and restore a real sense of well-being and calm, rebalancing the nervous system. Even the apparently simplest of movements can throw up a diverse set of personal challenges to each individual, and each brings with it many and varied benefits.
Yoga is a Sanskrit word which means to yoke, join or unify, and in our practice we aim to use the breath in conjunction with the poses, visualisations and meditative relaxations which gradually enable us to access, even for a brief time, a kind of inner peace. With a regular practice practitioners become more self-aware, reap the benefits of their physical practice and become better able to tap in to their inner oasis of calm, both on the mat and, hopefully, off it. It may sound too good to be true, but yoga truly is a life and health-enhancing practice. It offers a gentle, non-competitive means to explore personal boundaries, avoiding strain and injury and freeing the mind from the negative feelings which can be accumulated.
In the West, yoga is a relatively new thing, and, indeed, has really exploded in popularity in the last few years with many different styles now around. The practice of yoga, however, has its roots in ancient India many thousands of years ago, with the sage Patanjali credited for writing down the Yoga Sutras, a kind of ancient practice guide, some two thousand years ago. This seminal text remains one of the key foundations of yoga to this day. Yoga is not a religious practice and so can be practised by people of all faiths. It is, rather, a discipline which can bring about a process of self-awakening, using ancient techniques to improve physical and emotional well-being through harmony. Yoga benefits mind, body AND spirit. This has long since been an accepted truth in eastern cultures and is now, for those who need such approbation, backed up by scientific research and clinical trials.
SIMPLY YOGA 