Yoga

Yoga

I believe most of us have our own views of what yoga may be and that is absolutely fine. When I first tried yoga a long time ago, it had this secrecy to it. I almost felt I had to pass some kind of test to get accepted. Certainly, the other yogis seemed to be from another planet, managing to do all these weird and wonderful poses (asanas). I did not understand much at the time, but I knew I liked how it made me feel afterwards. The feeling of leaving the yoga class was a great boost. I had a clear head, a loose body, great posture and you walk like you own the world. It makes me feel great and ready to take on the world.

New to yoga

If you are new to yoga and wonder what it is all about, then I will describe it. You attend a class with a certified instructor who leads from the front. They will show you exactly what to do while providing you with different levels of difficulties, from beginner to advanced. Breathing, and at the right time, is very important in each asana. Again the instructor will tell you exactly how to breathe and when. The class starts with a warmup, then the asanas, then relaxation at the end. Depending on which kind of yoga class, there are other elements too, but this is a great place to start. Some classes focus more on the spiritual side too, however that is not my cup of tea.

Yoga versus Pilates

The main difference between the two is that yoga focuses on the spiritual side. My personal opinion is that yoga makes you more flexible due to how you work your body compared to Pilates. They are both very good and have great benefits.

Yoga teacher training

I completed my yoga teacher training in 2017, 200 hours in total. One of the highlights was the practical at the end, where we had to teach asanas to a class. Helen, the other Spud, came along as my volunteer. She took part in most classes that day so spent 6.5 hours being taught yoga. She reminds me of as often as she can about this. Now Helen likes anything that is fast, such as spinning, circuit training and boxing. Yoga is a lot of things, but I would not describe it as fast. So, it really took a lot of effort on her part to remain serious and do what she was taught. She is usually the one giggling as she can’t get into the asanas. She did a great job and admitted to feeling a lot more flexible afterwards. This lasted about 2 days and apart from a few fun days out she has not one any yoga since.

We are all different

What works for me might work for you, but then it might not. I consider myself a yogi. However, if you were to ask others, they might think that I am not a “true” yogi. I say this as I do not embrace everything that is associated with yoga. I have simply picked out the pieces that work for me. Which is really important to do with everything in life.

Stress-buster

Taking part in a yoga class relaxes me. It relaxes my poor brain, as well as my body. To me, I can really measure the benefits from doing yoga, both mentally and physically. At the moment I have some niggling in my wrists, so I adjust the asanas accordingly. It doesn’t stop me though.

Your decision

I am not here to tell you what to do. If you have not tried yoga before I hope this post makes you feel a little more at ease. I would encourage you to try a class. If you are anywhere near me in Scotland and want a session, please get in touch.

-Rosita

NB. 2 Spuds is based in the Glasgow area.

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