Last month the focus at Slow•o•lution was to raise awareness of the negative impact a stressful lifestyle has on our health and wellbeing. Along the way hopefully the different blogs made you think what are the causes that lead you to have such a life style. A lot of times we might know what the causes are, but we are not sure how to tackle them. Obviously we are all different, and we all deal with stress differently……but at the end of the day it is clear that we all need an outlet where we can recharge our batteries and de-stress. As a result this month we shift our focus to yoga as a de-stressing method.

In the recent years yoga has become very modern in the Western society, but what is all the hype about? What does yoga mean, and why is it so helpful to our overall wellbeing in the long run? What are some of the things we need to pay attention to if we want for the yoga we are practicing to really be serving the purpose it is meant to serve? Meanwhile, there are so many different types of yoga – what are the advantages of each one, and which one is the right one for me?

These and other topics will be discussed by two yoga experts, Diana Alvarez-Marin und Jan Müller. Both of them are experienced yoga teachers. Jan Müller has been teaching yoga and meditation since almost 20 years. Diana Alvarez-Marin trained in Hong Kong and Singapore under the guidance of Patrick Creelman, founder of Pure Yoga, she teaches a strong practice, focused on alignment and intelligent sequencing

My personal yoga experience

When it comes to yoga I am a beginner, as my experience is limited. Throughout the years I have tried a few different classes and teachers, but for whatever reason I wasn’t able to find the right set up for me. May be it is due to the fact that I need to learn to calm my mind first. Maybe it is due to the fact that the classes that I visited were very crowded. Or maybe it is just that I am not that drawn into yoga?!?

Visit at O Yoga

As I didn’t want to give up my hope on finding the right yoga class for me, I recently visited a class at O Yoga, led by Diana. I was very positively surprised and enjoyed the class for two main reasons. Firstly, it was a very intensive 90 minute class, with only seven of us. I felt like every little muscle in my body was working hard, and sure enough I also felt the results the following two days:) Secondly, the fact that the class is kept so small, allowed Diana to focus on each one of us, making sure that we are doing the right thing. I also enjoyed the overall atmosphere of the class – each participant was welcomed in a relaxed way with a cup of tea, the background music during the class was very relaxing, and at the end the group stayed together enjoying another cup of tea.

My understanding is that each week the topic of the class is different. I also particularly liked the fact that each “invitation” for the class has a nicely described introduction to the respective class and what is to be expected. Another big plus for me is the fact that I don’t have to sign a membership, but instead I can attend classes whenever it fits my schedule.

Currently I have so many other things going on, that I am not sure whether I will start attending a weekly yoga class, but the fact that I have found a positive experience that I can always go back to is a great feeling. I know of a lot of people that have implemented yoga as part of their life. Are you one of them? If you are, share your experiences, and how it helps your overall wellbeing.

Stay healthy,
Anna

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