Yoga... much more than just exercise! Kindly provided by Paula Ribeiro, Yoga Teacher with Yoga Scotland.
Fancy taking up yoga but not sure where to start? There are various styles on off er these days for example: Iyengar, Ashtanga, Dru, Bikram, Vinyasa Flow, Yin, etc and although sharing the same basic aim of improving mental and physical wellbeing, each style varies in subtle ways. Therefore, the style of yoga you are drawn to may refl ect your personal preferences, circumstances
and
state of body and mind at a particular point in time.
For instance, if you are looking for a dynamic and strong practice, you may like to try Ashtanga.
However, if you prefer a still
practice, in which you can release into the postures for longer, maybe you would prefer Yin. All these diff erent styles follow the same path of yoga, Hatha Yoga. They have been codifi ed and popularized by diff erent yoga masters. For example, Iyengar Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar and Ashtanga by K. Pattabhi Jois. You may wish to do a little research into each one but the best thing to do is try them out and see what works for you.
Equally important to the style, is the teacher and it’s important to fi nd one you connect with and whose style resonates for you. My fi rst yoga practice was in the Iyengar tradition. I attended the same class for many years as it totally fulfi lled my needs at that time and its focus on precision and alignment really worked for me. I liked my teacher very much and the style suited my attention to detail persona. But when my personal circumstances changed, I started exploring other classes and styles. I have now pretty much tried all styles and dozens of diff erent teachers and this has been a rewarding and valuable experience. After familiarising myself with the yoga teacher training options out there, I settled upon training with Yoga Scotland. The idea of being free from the constraints of a particular style suits me well and I feel it allows me to bring to my classes all the aspects of the various styles I am attracted to.
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But what exactly is Hatha Yoga? Hatha yoga is one of the four paths of yoga, the others being Jnana (emphasis on knowledge), Bhakti (emphasis on love and devotion) and Karma (emphasis on action). Hatha literally means forceful in Sunskrit and the word is composed of two opposites in harmony: ha (sun/male) tha (moon/female). Hatha Yoga is the path in which we aim to unify the two energies.
What benefi ts will it bring you? Classes tend to focus on the physical aspect of yoga, the practice of postures (asanas), and some include breath control (pranayama), meditation and chanting, thus benefi ting both body and mind. Yoga practice will help you become more aware of your body and breath, improve strength, fl exibility and balance, help you reduce stress and anxiety levels and ultimately improve your overall wellbeing. It is particularly benefi cial for making the most of living in today’s busy and sometimes stressful world.
Paula teaches Hatha Yoga classes in Bridge of Allan at the Parish Church on Tuesdays & Thursdays 11.15am-12.15pm and Wednesdays 10.30-11.30am at the Wee Yoga Room in Bridge of Allan.
To advertise in thewire t. 07720 429 613 e.
the.wire@btinternet.com
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