yoga by dea dia wellbeing

Today we will be focusing on all things Yoga, from my own journey, the benefits of Yoga, to picking the right class for you.

'Movement is life’ goes beyond issues of survival and physical maintenance: movement adds meaning to our lives. It provides a deeper insight into our thoughts and experiences, and when words are not enough to articulate our thoughts or process our experiences, we move.

Welcome, it is lovely to have you here.
My name is Jess, creator of @DeaDiaWellbeing, a platform for holistic approaches to wellbeing, wellness and well-living. Yoga is a big part of my work alongside Creative Arts Therapies, Meditation and Mindfulness.

So, let's take it back to the start.

My first yoga experience was around the age of 14, when I borrowed my mum's yoga book which came with a DVD (how very noughties). I had just enough space to squeeze an exercise mat between my bed and wardrobe to follow the lady on screen (who must have been in her 80’s, no YouTubers back in this day) with limbs hitting the furniture around me. This was the beginning of my yoga journey, in the years that followed my practice deepened by attending workshops and retreats before I started my journey to teacher training.

The main thing that drew me to yoga was the link between the Body & Mind.

Yoga has a really strong ability to bring this together, whilst welcoming inner awareness and focusing on the present moment. Being present in the current climate is challenging when everything around us is fighting for our attention; advertising, social media, notifications etc. Yoga gives us the time to pause, be with ourselves and really check in with our physical and emotional brain.

Yoga and I

I believe movement is a fundamental part of wellness and well-living, and is immensely important to mental health, physical health and overall wellbeing.

My personal yoga experience and personal practice has given me an insight into my own personal development, emotional and mental state of mind. When practiced regularly the emotional and physical shifts that happen when practicing yoga are profound. Yoga has given me a form of relief from stress and anxiety. I struggled with calming the mental chatter of my mind, something that yoga has helped, by not only calming that chatter but by also accepting this and in turn letting it go.

The wonderful thing about yoga is the many styles.

If I feel I need to relax I will do a gentle flow focusing on awareness of my body and slowing down. On the flip side, I find styles which build a little more heat really beneficial to me when I am feeling overwhelmed or anxious, focusing on strength and resilience. The other exceptional thing about yoga is that there is no right or wrong, I don’t feel I need a full sequence to stand on my mat and just move my body in a way that feels good.

Yoga and You

The benefits of yoga are somewhat limitless and individual.

Of course, over time flexibility will improve, along with physical wellbeing factors, like fitness levels and movement range. Though other factors can really change lives when yoga becomes a lifestyle and not a fitness class.

Yoga is a form of meditation in itself.

It helps us to switch off, calm our thoughts and focus on one thing. Taking time out for yourself, to focus on you and moving your body can have big effects on mental health and even boost creativity.

There is more to yoga than the physical.

Yoga philosophy covers a great deal of different topics. Two of them being the Yama and Niyama's – these are essentially principals that some Yogis live by. They outline 10 values around self discipline, how we conduct ourselves and our ethical standards. Controlling our emotions, letting go and having compassion for ourselves, others and the world around us (imagine a world if everyone turned to yoga, bliss).

Classes

It can be overwhelming picking a yoga class.

With so many different styles of yoga available, the time of the class needs to suit you (obviously) but you also need the class to suit you. There are many ways to practice yoga: group classes, online live classes, pre recorded yoga classes, YouTube videos, 1-1s, sitting in stillness or the good old fashioned way – you, your mat and movement from the soul.

Before booking onto a class be sure to read the description to find out the style.

If you are looking for something calming and gentle, then a Power yoga class is not what you are looking for. Try looking for key words in the description that suits your yoga journey. Picking the correct level class. It can be intimidating turning up to a yoga class for the first time, especially if you aren’t sure what level you have booked on to. Look out for words such as: beginner, level 2-3, yoga for all, intermediate etc. If you are unsure reach out to the teacher or studio to find the right class for you.

Interested in starting Yoga Classes or building on your practice?

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Investing in yourself is one of the greatest things you’ll ever do and one thing you’ll never regret. If you have any questions around yoga practice or wellbeing please reach out, I’d love to hear from you,

Namaste - Jess @deadiawellbeing | Deadia.co.uk