Yoga- Going Beyond Fitness

I am excited to introduce our first guest blogger, Sarah Vanis.

Sarah is a qualified chef, yoga teacher, teacher, counsellor and Ayurveda consultant.Sarah brings over 20 years’ experience in food and health to help others restore health naturally teaching regular yoga classes, providing lectures in Ayurveda and personal consultations in yoga and Ayurveda therapy. Sarah is the course owner of 10579NAT Diploma of Ayurveda Yoga Teaching and runs Aligning Health Retreat.

Have you ever thought of doing Yoga to help with your fitness levels, flexibility and health. Sarah discuss the benefits of individualised yoga classes. Yoga- Going Beyond Fitness

Most people when they start Yoga will go to a group class in their local area. If they are lucky they will meet a Yoga Teacher who inspires them and encourages them to continue their Yoga Journey. Sometimes the reverse happens and the fit isn’t right. What happens then to that aspiring potential Yogi?

Yoga was traditionally taught individually. When Yoga really took hold in the West group Fitness Classes were mainstream and Yoga evolved alongside the likes of Jane Fonda and Denise Austin. Yoga Classes are taught in groups. Yoga students are given a fitness experience. This may be all the new Yogi is looking for and this is how a practice may start. At some stage, however, the experience may Yoga change and the new Yogi may feel sense an innate feeling of connection with the body, the mind and the spirit.

Imagine what it would be like for Yoga to return to the individualised teachings. This does not have to be in private classes. It is possible to experience personalised Yoga in group classes. Ask your teacher what their philosophies of Yoga are. Ask about their training. Try a class and see if gives you what you need. If it doesn’t fit, try again. Just don’t stop.

Some Yoga Teachers have knowledge of the system of medicine native to India known as Ayurveda. Ayurveda dates back to 3000-5000 BC and was traditionally used with Yoga. The integration of Ayurveda with Yoga provides a holistic experience for the Yoga. The teacher has the ability to create a Yoga experience that considers the whole person.

Imagine a Yoga Teacher who has the ability to provide nutritional advice to support spiritual practice. In general terms Yoga is about the mind. The mind is affected by the body. What we eat becomes us, not only physically but also psychologically. Some foods provide a more optimal experience of Yoga. This concept is not new. It is slowly re-emerging back into the teaching of Yoga.

Group Classes that provide attention to the individual qualities of the person enrichen the Yogic experience. A class providing options according to the natural make-up of the students in the class creates a haven of healing. Group Classes that are designed to flow with the Seasons allows the body’s natural intelligence to realign itself.

The group Yoga Class returns to its roots. It becomes individualised. The path to experience the true meaning of Yoga becomes possible with the right teacher with the right fit providing personal experience of Yoga.