Yoga comes in many guises and the history of Yoga goes back many years, with BKS Iyengar being the ‘father’ of many lineages of Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga we, in the West, know and love today. My Yoga is based in Hatha and Vinyasa as this is the path my teachers trod before me.

Yoga means yoke and for me this is the joining of the breath with the asanas (the physical exercises/poses) and the concentration on these that joins the practitioner with their inner self through the meditative state it brings.

Yoga is a practice and, as students, we are always still learning and evolving. The most important thing I have learned in Yoga is simple – it is not a competition with others and crucially it is not a competition with yourself. When working through asanas it is important that the student listens to their body and only goes as far as they can on any given day, and this will always vary – however bendy or not bendy you are. Though in general, and just like with most things, the more you practice the more proficient you will become.

Most people will be familiar with asanas, then others will be aware of breathwork and the meditative elements of a physical Yoga practice.

The benefits of Yoga are manyfold. As you attend classes or work through the asanas yourself you will find that your body becomes more able to do the different poses and that your energy levels and physical being will improve. The asana practice will improve your physical ability; making you stronger, bringing greater flexibility and better balance the more you do. Breath work will help to bring calmness or extra energy. As you progress you will find that during your practice all you are thinking about is the work you are doing with the asanas and breathing so the practice becomes a meditative experience, improving your physical, mental & spiritual bodies.

Both Yoga and Meditation have a similar positive impact on the mind: Each reduces stress and anxiety, brings you added calm, more peace and happiness. They also enable you to begin to understand the workings of your mind and thought processes. Which in turn helps you to change your thought processes when they are unhelpful to you. Yoga can be relaxing and energising at the same time.

I am a firm believer that Yoga is for everyone and adapted yoga can be designed to enable anyone to practice in some way or another.

You can go as deep into Yoga as you want to, without question or judgement. Some people will just want to do the physical exercises (asanas), whilst others will want to make the Yoga path their way of life and others will want to sit somewhere in the middle.

In my group sessions, the focus will be on asana, breath and meditation. Whereas in a 1 to 1 session we can also explore Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the 8 Limbs of Yoga path as a way of life if you are looking to travel that far with your practice. The format of this 1 to 1 session can be guided by your personal preference. 

I trained with My Vinyasa Practice who are based in Austin, Texas and completed my YTT200 course in October 2021. I am now a Yoga Alliance accredited teacher.

About Happy Yogis

Yoga & Meditation for people from age 4 upwards

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