How can yoga benefit you?
Yoga has the potential to have far reaching effects on your mental, emotional, spiritual and physical well being. It is a holistic form of exercise connecting all aspects of mind, body and breath during practice.
You will surely come away feeling relaxed in mind, yet invigorated in body. At the heart of all yoga practice is the idea that we learn to find stillness within and then incorporate that stillness or peace into our daily lives. Most students find that they are better able to face life's ups and downs when they have been practising yoga.
Physically most students notice an improvement in muscle tone and definition. All students feel stronger and definitely have more stamina to get them through their busy lives. Your posture will improve and as a result you will feel more confident.
The breathing exercises alone can have enormous benefits - you will regulate your breathing, you will feel rejuvenated and more energised, you will perhaps even notice an improvement if you suffer from respiratory problems such as asthma and emphysema. In Sapna's class we focus on pranayama, a step that is distinct from physical yoga and meditation, yet something which is crucial to the attaining of union and silencing of mind, breath and body - prana, or life force or energy, is generated through thousands of channels within our bodies via the breath and we learn to do this in yoga class. Pranayama has a calming and cleansing effect on the mind and the emotions and students often come away feeling relaxed, yet elated through the combination of physical asanas and breath work.
Yoga is also known for improving your ability to relax, through techniques of relaxation and meditation. In class students are taught about the idea of stilling the mind, through one pointedness or, through breath awareness and through many other methods such as visualisation and chanting.
The above are just some of the benefits that a yoga practice can bring. We invite you to try one of Sapna's classes to see if yoga works for you. Please email Sapna with any queries you may have and she will try to answer them.
"The life energy is increased by regulation of the out-breath,
the in-breath, or the breath mid-flow."∼ Yoga Sutras of Patanjali