breaths of calm, positions of power
At What’s On 4 Me we keep a close eye upon what it is that our fans are most interested in hearing about and knowing 'how to participate' when something takes their fancy.
Fitness and other ‘boot camp’ facilities – with a focus on de-stressing – have been high in the charts for some while, and to reflect that interest, we are about to start a one year long feature on yoga and meditation.
The last few years has seen yoga develop and expand even more quickly around the world – in particular, as a chosen method of improving health and mental ‘balance'.
Yoga’s popularity has grown to the point where 30 million Americans and 5 million Europeans today practice the art on a regular basis – in addition to the goodness knows how many millions in the East.
If YOU are looking for an activity you can embrace - which generally costs very little - yet brings potential enormous rewards and new friends, then dipping your foot into Yoga is a very strong What’s On 4 Me recommendation (with no harmful side effects, if it turns out not to ‘float your boat’).
What's On 4 Me and yoga
In addition to this feature article on the subject of yoga, we are building a directory of yoga and meditation facilities throughout the UK, talking to as many of these organisations and groups as we can.
Where people from the world of meditation have something different or special to say, or offer, we are building those comments into this ´living ‘feature.
And we are providing a huge incentive for yoga groups near you (at least three or four) to stand up and make themselves known, with an opportunity for the to give you a direct invitation to go and see "what they are all about".
These groups might offer traditional Hatha yoga, or something quite different, like yoga for pregnant Mums offered by Yogabellies - or how about somewhere completely different - like the out of this world setting of a stately home, Kilnwick Percy Hall, where you can 'work your ticket' to receive board and food and yoga and meditation in return for 35 hours work! Or if you prefer simply to pay to stay, there are several options including en-suite rooms for around £80 per night - or camping in the grounds for £30!
If you do grasp the hands that will be reached out to you, through this feature, you may find yoga to be among the most worthwhile things you have ever attempted.
New crazes do come and go – but Yoga, and the other similar meditation methods, are an ancient art that have endured for many centuries.
Learn more about yoga
The origins of Yoga are as a spiritual offshoot of the Hindu religion.
What has 'caught on' in such an immense way with the eastern world and the west – joining the millions of Hindus - who practice this art form as a part of their normal daily life - is the ability of Yoga and meditation to lead to a focussing of the mind, especially in times of stress, and to create a general feeling of well being and positivity.
The growth in Yoga’s popularity seems to be irresistible – despite being criticized by the Roman Catholic and Muslim faiths, and, in fact banned! Largely because it is rooted in Buddhism. There is also objection to the focus upon the body as ‘a temple’.
Notwithstanding - Yoga has proved popular throughout the world (including huge numbers of Roman Catholics and Muslims).
The classic style of Yoga is known as HATHA Yoga, although a number of alternative styles have developed such as a more esoteric KUNDALINI Yoga, and even ‘NAKED’ and ‘HIP’ Yoga! There are also variants of Yoga from China and Nepal.
The core elements of yoga are called ASANAS. These are the poses that its practitioners must adopt and hold which range in difficulty from easy to seemingly impossible. They demand ever increasing levels of subtleness, and endurance, though a pose hardly ever requires the use of strength, only technique.
This posing aspect is then overlaid by PRANAYAMA - which is a control of breathing that is essential to progress making it absolutely essential to identify an experienced instructor, able to guide you through the Asana and Pranayama progressions to correct mistakes in technique.
See below for a more detailed section which describes Yoga and its various formats in more depth which you could visit now or leave until the end of this general introduction to the possibilities for you.
Read more >>>
What's On 4 Me does the hard work for you...
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We are providing you with a deeper insight into yoga and beyond
as well as this all round and general introduction there is a slightly deeper look at yoga
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We are working to find you local groups
we are keen to find at least three or four local friendly faces and voices you can talk to
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We are looking at residential centres too
a yoga weekend or holiday could make the ideal break, with a chance to see new places, and learn new things
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We want to help yoga groups attract your attention
groups tell us they struggle to attract members, so we have thrown away our rate card to help them become known to you.
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Our search is on…
On behalf of our What’s on 4 Me fans we are conducting a nationwide campaign - seeking to find at least three Yoga and meditation instructors in every county and more if we can.
Besides attending LOCAL yoga classes - from the content of this feature and our directory - you could take the opportunity to visit a distance Yoga course or even a residential Yoga course - to mix Yoga with other forms of entertainment or relaxation. Either get started with a concentrated launch, or as a ‘booster’ of your techniques - from time to time.
There are some incredible Yoga centres around the UK, and elsewhere in Europe, where your visit can be doubled up with other touristic or cultural experiences.
We would very much appreciate feedback from those of our readers who make contact with - or involve themselves with - the groups that are listed in the directories associated with this article and we will be very happy to include your reviews and experiences in this Feature.
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Seek out the gains
Inevitably you will require to find at least one good Yoga instructor nearby to your home, where you could expect to meet many other like minded people, who are sure to become friends in time.
Visiting, what seem quite inexpensive, Yoga centres in the UK, or beyond, is something that the whole family can do, as there is virtually no limit to the age at which it is possible to start Yoga training.
This could become a new style of weekend break or holiday for all the family!
From our research and in talking to many many Yoga group members, it is clear that once you have found your feet as a Yoga practitioner, you can rely upon feeling the benefit of Yoga, in every single day of your life thereafter.
The exercise and breathing it seems will improve your overall health and resistance to illness. That has nothing to do with the ideology - but simply that any regular form of exercise involving better breathing has that effect.
Most importantly it seems to us that in today’s hectic and high pressure world, Yoga practitioners can gain a refuge from stress.
Doctors worldwide approve of anything that reduces stress, on the basis that it is considered as big a threat to good health as almost any disease or bad habit.
Read more >>>
Maybe a life changing experience?
Finding a way to give your day periods of time when you can be ‘at one’ with yourself, following Yoga and meditation techniques could be a major lifetime gain for you.
What may start as a small spare time adventure or curiousness can lead to something quite special.
Talking to Yoga practitioners it seems that if you take the decision to take this path, you can expect that it will be life changing.
The benefits for Yoga are as much for the mind as the body and it is claimed that those who become adept begin to ‘stand out’ in any crowd for their lack of stress, serene calmness, lack of worries and a new, healthy, philosophical outlook on life (and hence presumably the worry of Yoga to the Vatican and Islam).
Through Yoga, practitioners learn to believe that we are, simply, ‘body, mind and soul’. Everything else in life follows.
Read more >>>
An introduction to the art of yoga
About the practice of yoga
The practice of yoga involves the assumption of various poses of varying difficulty according to expertise, and the level of instruction received – combined with breathing exercises.
Over time the poses generally improve the flexibility of the body, its balance and sometimes stamina.
The breathing exercises promote tranquility and the concept of mind over matter, which is attitude that is at the heart of many eastern exercise regimes.
Even if you can not take to the ‘energy flow’ concepts that accompany many of the Yoga regimes, the poses and the breathing undoubtedly bring great benefits all of their own.
A good understanding of Yoga is therefore possible - along with considerable benefit and gains without taking on board its other aspects.
The basic Yoga pose is – so famous as to already be known to almost everyone in the world – is the Lotus position. This is a crossed legged sitting position that encourages stability inner balance and flexibility.
There is a full Lotus – where both feet rest on top of the opposite leg - which is difficult if not impossible for beginners.
The Lotus position takes patience and practice to achieve, and so a half Lotus - or even simpler cross legged poses which are used by beginners in their early days.
Other basic poses (asanas) include the Cobra, the Cow, the Diamond, the Tree and the Corpse position.The Corpse is a flat out position designed to regain forces and achieve calm following any over exhaustion. Each pose is accompanied by its own breathing technique and the two – posing and breathing - must always be practiced together.
During the period when one is learning the basic Asanas the guidance of a trained instructor is vital. It is easy as a beginner to make mistakes in posture and breathing - which must be corrected from the beginning if the benefits of Yoga are to be realised.
Once you have learned the asanas however, you are able to practice them yourself in your own surroundings and in your own time.
For some, yoga practice can lead to more difficult and specialised asanas - such as inverted headstands - or arched back bows. However even if you do not get as far or as serious as that - you will still find a mastery of the basic poses - of considerable benefit to you in times of stress, or simply as a way of looking after your body and soul - balming them with tranquility.
General health warnings
These guidelines are given to Yoga practitioners, and new trainees before starting any Yoga session;
- The stomach should be relatively empty.
- Strength, force or pressure should NOT be used and the body should never tremble.
- Movements involving lowering the head or other parts of the body should be made slowly and - specifically - whenever heels are raised, they should then be lowered slowly.
- Breathing should be controlled.
- The benefits of the various Asanas increase, when the specific related (breathing technique) Pranamyama is performed.
- Whenever a practitioner is experiencing a form of stress, they must perform the Corpse pose.
- The Yoga Asansa must not be performed on a floor, but on some form of mat (Yoga mat).
- At the end of any Yoga session, time must be left for a deeper and final relaxation.
- A Yoga session must not be followed by going to bed or going to sleep.
Different types
Hatha
The easiest and most widely followed outside of the East, requires the adoption of various Asanas (postures) and the use of Pranamyama (control of breathing) to reach a state of profound relaxation. Hatha improves flexibility, combats stress and is for all ages without limit.
Astanger
This involves synchronisation of the postures and breathing techniques, in a manner that causes heavy perspiration and loss of toxins - and a great help for re-balancing the bone structure.
Ayengir
This adopts a more gymnastic and physical discipline with less emphasis upon meditation and breathing.
Bacti
Bacti is the most spiritual form of Yoga which includes and preaches an unconditional love of a god head figure, though without the hopes and fears of traditional religions.
Karma
Karma aims to improve the practitioner behaviour through the arrival at an interior peace and absolute tranquility - which includes a process of widening the horizons of the mind, in order to accentuate good from evil on an intuitive basis.
Mantra
This form of Yoga is practiced by Tibetan monks who repeat mantra’s or chants in order to reach the highest levels of consciousness.
Raja
A form of Yoga, involving the posture in which the Buddha is usually depicted – involving prolonged meditation with the intention of arriving at the ‘truth of all things’ through inward reflection.
Yana
Yana focuses upon the classic techniques of Yoga practitioners as written down through the ages - seeking answers to the questions of life
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