When I tried yoga for the first time I didn’t know what to expect. I had nightmare images of hippy chanting in a dark candle lit room, but thankfully it was quite the opposite.
Yoga is an ancient practice that originated in India around 5000 years ago. Its original form was often spiritual and meditative with the aim to achieve ‘harmony between the heart and soul’, but modern practice is primarily physical. In the late 19th century, yoga gurus from India travelled to the West to introduce and teach the philosophies of yoga to the Western World. It wasn’t until the 1980s fitness craze, that the spiritual quest really took off. Hatha yoga is the most practiced form of yoga in Western culture with the aim to balance mind, body and spirit through physical practice, breath work and meditation.
The benefits of yoga are ample – improved flexibility, muscle strength, better posture and balance – and many doctors now suggest it as a low impact way of getting fit and healthy. Medical studies show it even increases circulation, lowers blood pressure and eases aches and pains. There are many different styles of yoga that suit different people including Ashtanga, Bikram and Vinyasa.
In the class, the feeling of the rise and fall of the breath calmed me instantly and I was able to focus on the practice. The long, held stretches allowed me to relax into the positions and I mostly worked on trying to relieve tension using breath. I left the class with a new found motivation and positivity.. and I have to admit, the feeling is pretty addictive!
In todays society, it’s often impossible to find time to focus on self care and positivity. Taking some time out of my day to engage in activity and be entirely in the moment, left me feeling completely re-energised.
Jessica Sykes 