The physical benefits of yoga are limitless. The right teacher and an appropriate class can ensure significant improvement in strength feasibility breathing capacity and also a holistic view of the body and health.

It can be part of a fitness plan or can be a core part of a spiritual lifestyle and journey. It can bring a school of philosophical thought into your awareness and provide moral/ethical guidelines by which to benchmark daily experiences. How far a practitioner takes this is completely up to them.

A regular yoga practice as part of a rehabilitation programme after illness or injury almost always ensures physically and mental improvements, when facilitated by an instructor who embodies yoga as a way of life, rather than only a physical activity.

After several classes you may just realise that your yoga night is the best nights sleep you get in the week. That you stand a bit taller after class, breathe a bit fuller and that your mind is surprisingly clear on the drive home. Yoga night may also inadvertently become the evening that you choose not to indulge in your usual glass of wine or sugary snacks.

Yoga teaches us to take control of our own bodies; to be intentional and resilient and to be sensitive to ourselves during different life stages. Our practice can be adapted restoratively, energetically and mindfully depending on what is needed at that time. The focus on breath teaches students simple techniques to expand the chest, clear the respiratory system and balance both sides of the brain (helpful if you find it difficult to slow down).

And now we come to relaxation/meditation/mindfulness. All these terms sound wonderful but can mean nothing if we are not in the correct frame of mind. Yoga provides an opportunity for mindfulness, and a good instructor will guide you through the different stages of relaxation. A legitimate opportunity is provided for your mind to process everything it hasn’t yet processed, to completely surrender the body physically and to ‘tune outs from the constant over-stimulation we are subject to.

When I found myself sampling vastly contrasting yoga classes, after the departure of my inspiring first teacher, I quickly became disillusioned and frustrated at the diversity of teaching methods and the required level of physical exertion. It quickly became apparent that a teachers knowledge of yoga wasn’t enough; it was their ability to translate that knowledge, with relevance, that was important. An individuals initial attraction to yoga may be fitness or relaxation but it’s the teachers ability to communicate their knowledge persuasively and sensitively that makes an individual return to the mat.

Whether or not you choose yoga, the most important thing is that you Choose You!

Eva Paterson
Owner of Choose YOU – yoga studio and wellness hub.