Yoga - the art of union
Yoga, the union of our physical, mental and spiritual selves, is far more
than a form of exercise; it is a way of life. Although your first introduction
to yoga may be to help you relax or tone your body, you will soon find that
yoga will encourage you to focus your mind and become aware of the internal
flow of energy.
Yoga is a vast collection of spiritual techniques and practices all aimed at integrating mind, body and spirit and achieving a state of enlightenment or oneness. We use various physical sequences, together with breathing techniques that will connect both mind and body. The yoga sequences will tone every muscle in the body as well as the internal organs; yoga breathing will sharpen and awaken the mind. This will bring a feeling of both, harmony and balance to your life.
Why Hatha yoga?
Hatha yoga is most ideally suited to westerners; its structure is such that it starts with the very basics of how we experience our existence - the physical body and then works inward. Increasingly we fail to use are bodies enough, or we have a lifestyle that abuses them. Most of us suffer from back pain or joint pain at some stage, and many aspects of modern life for example, sitting down for long periods watching TV, at work on a computer, all place strains on the body which is ill prepared. We use medication to mask out the pain, without bothering to establish its underlying cause. It doesn't matter what kind of shape your body is in when you start yoga practice, just having a body- being alive - is sufficient qualification for doing yoga.
Why power yoga?
Power yoga works on the cardio-vascular system, and helps to raise the heart rate, combining both hatha and power yoga is probably one of the most effective forms of exercise you can do. The beauty of power yoga, is that the sequences all come from the base movements in hatha yoga, so you will already be familiar with most of them, thus making you more comfortable, and allowing you to perfect you posture, stance and breathing within the movements. Power will awaken your whole self, energise and invigorate the body.
Physical benefits
Increased strength, suppleness and stamina, Enhances your balance, posture, agility and grace. Yoga also cleanses and conditions internal systems and enhances bodily processes such as digestion, as well as stimulating the thyroid gland to work more effectively.
Mental benefits
When practicing the yoga breathing, this helps you to breathe deeper and more fully more of the time. This leads to clarity and stillness of mind, which in turn leads to improved concentration. You will also find that yoga helps to reduce anxiety, emotional tension and mood swings, bringing harmony and balance to your life.