I'll just make a fool of myself...

I have heard this many of times, and understandably.

I myself have walked into a yoga class and wanted to leave from the moment I got there.

I have wondered what the hell the teacher is talking about?

How do I do what they are asking me to do?

Look at her/him... So flexible. I will never do that!

I won't go back, I will just take a fool of myself...

Thankfully, I stuck to it and found what works for me. And that is what you will need to do too.

If you are reading this, you are somewhat curious about yoga and what it has to offer and I can happily and confidently say that the practice of yoga regularly, has tremendous benefits mentally and physically.

The above negative self chatter is completely normal by the way, but you have a choice to keep that chatter going around in you brain or decide not to. Easier said than done I know. However I have studied how yoga can be adapted to suit many different health conditions including anxiety, stress, depression and PTSD which are very common in our lives, and yoga techniques are fantastic to help with this chatter of the brain!

But why? How? And what to do then, you ask?

Firstly, the why and the how. Yoga promotes mindfulness of the body and brain. This in turns, like anything that you practice becomes habit, meaning you are more aware of not only how you sit, stand, walk and move, but also the thoughts in the mind, the food you eat, the drinks you drink etc...

On a scientific level, because I am a bit of a geek, movement of the body helps promote neuro networks, meaning the parts of the brain communicate better. It also releases chemicals that we rely on for cognitive function.

The breathing part is the juicy part though! As we get to school age and start a lifetime of sitting at desks, tables, cars, our posture changes allowing less pace for the diaphragm to do it's thing, which means we start to chest breath. Chest breathing is directly linked to anxiety and we can find ourself in a circle of stress and anxiety through our breath. So learning to breathe efficiently, allows us to switch our nervous system from a sympathetic state to para sympathetic. In less geeky terms, it means less stress, more calm!

Yoga encompasses your daily movement and mindfulness in one, so how can you do it?

Many options are available and you can try all of them. But I have some personal recommendations.

If you already practice a sport or go the gym and you are familiar with your body mechanics then you can drop in any class to try. I would recommend trying a minimum of 3 classes. If the style isn't right, try a different style, (see my website on different styles), if you can't resonate with the teacher, try a different teacher.

If you are new to yoga and physical activity or haven't done anything in a little while, jump onto a beginners class or course (available on my website)

If something is stopping you such as anxiety, depression, addiction, contact me privately, let's discuss some initial private classes.

If you are suffering from conditions such as arthritis, Parkinson's, Cancer, MS, or any chronic illness, private classes are most likely a better option for you. I also have experience dealing with many conditions and seen some fantastic results.

But ultimately, the 'what you can do' is very straight forward. Make the decision to look after your wellbeing. And when you make that decision, the tools are here for you, as am I.

With Love

Lucy

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