I’m often asked by students about the benefits of yoga and mindfulness. It seems we all know that it’s good for us but somehow there is some confusion about how it can be taken off the mat and into daily life. So I asked some of my students to write about their personal experiences and I will be posting them in our newsletter and on our website.

Below is Ashley’s account. Many thanks Ashley for taking time to share your experience with us.

Namaste
Aneta

∞

My name is Ashley I am a 60-year-old male, this November.

I have been coming to Yoga for about two years. I originally started because I wanted to do some regular exercise without the gymnasium testosterone environment, where muscles and pumping iron seem to be the main criteria.

I like to think of myself as being a typical male who likes to go to their local and enjoy a few beers and the football.

Not so long ago I found that I had great difficulty in bending down to tie-up my shoe laces without being out of breath, since attending Yoga classes I have achieved touching the floor with my legs straight, a breeze, with no breathlessness.

I am not perfect, I sometimes eat too much and my waistline suffers, but I have improved my personal fitness level, and because I attend Yoga classes at least twice a week I have found that my breathing has improved immensely.

My employer requires that I attend a Wellman clinic once a year, the results for my breathing are given as that of someone twenty years my junior, I wish that I could say it is all my own efforts, but realistically I have to give credit to my Yoga teacher Aneta.

She has helped me improve in many ways without placing any pressure on me, Yoga is a great way to improve your fitness, without compromising your normal lifestyle, and there is no religious context unless you choose it to be so.  I cannot praise the anetai yoga studio and its teachers. My teacher Aneta is very professional and inspires without preaching, she encourages without expectation. Her philosophy is go to your limit and no further, Yoga is something that encourages rather than forces, you are in control, but at the same time can gain confidence through a shared experience.

Everyone, both men and women that I share Yoga classes with can range from fit to unfit, no one feels excluded, and we all share a common experience, which is both personal and social.  No one will laugh if you fail to achieve, everyone will encourage because when you fail we all feel the experience, and it could be anyone of us.  Therefore the experience is shared and owned, whilst you are an individual, you are also me.

If you feel that you need to do something about your lifestyle, change direction, or just improve your fitness, give Yoga a go, after all what is there to lose?

Namaste

Ashley

 

My experience of Mindfulness Yoga – by April 

April is one of the teachers from Infant Priory School in Ramsgate who I have been working with since October 2016. They attend a weekly class during the school terms. Here is what April said about her experience of yoga and mindfulness.

“As an individual who does not usually exercise and has never considered or even heard of the concept of mindfulness, this practice has been an enlightening and educational experience on many levels. In terms of general fitness, the yoga itself has demonstrated my lack of flexibility and stamina and although I am starting to see some of the benefits, I am aware that this is something I must maintain and continue for my overall health. Breathing is an area I have experienced particular difficulty with and initially the breathing exercises made me feel anxious. After reflecting on this difficulty, I became aware that this is actually an area that I have always struggled with generally in my life. Over the course of the two terms, I have started to gain a better understanding as to how I can control my breathing and although this has been a very gradual process, I am starting to acknowledge some of the benefits through the yoga sessions and generally in my day to day life.

Previously, I had very little to no knowledge of the concept of mindfulness and the benefits that such a practise could have for a person’s well-being. At first, I found the meditation element of the yoga session difficult and uncomfortable, as my usual relaxation regime would involve my phone, Television, laptop, tablet and many other devices, with my mind always having many distractions. When asked to consider the moment and not to let other thoughts cloud your mind, all I could consider was the noise of the traffic, other peoples breathing and the constant stream of work related anxieties. I would then become uncomfortable and fidgety, worrying even more about the tasks that would need to be completed the following day. It was as if my mind was not used to having such a quiet and reflective time, that it would automatically look for any negative thought or worry to occupy me for the duration of the meditation. It wasn’t until my second term of mindfulness yoga that I began to understand and benefit from the mindfulness mediation element of the session. When I heard the sound of the symbols, I would realise that I had considered each part of my body and although my mind did still stray, I could feel a sense of relaxation that I had not experienced before.

Recently at work we have completed a short mindfulness course which gave all members of staff an overview of the concept of mindfulness and the benefits that it can have for a person’s well-being. Listening to the other members of staff struggle with these mindfulness exercises and question the usefulness of the practise, really allowed me to reflect on how far I have come with understanding the benefits and the extent my mind has been trained to switch off and be aware of what is happening at that specific moment. For example, when completing the mindfulness activities, I found myself switching off from most distraction and at the end of the session feeling a true sense of relaxation and calm. I could really empathise with the people who struggled to understand and complete the activities, as I am now aware that mindfulness isn’t something you can just jump into, it takes time and training and I am starting to experience the benefits that it can have for my own sense of well-being.      

Overall, mindfulness yoga has not only benefitted me on a personal level in terms of supporting my breathing, overall fitness and well-being, it has also supported me in my working life. I can now feel myself dealing with highly stressful situation in a calmer and more collected way, rather than my usual uptight and anxiety driven manner that would then (after reflection) lead onto feelings of self-doubt. In addition, I have started to incorporate mindfulness into my lessons and during busy transition where the children would usually be running around shouting at the top of their voice, we have started to have short reflective times where we listen to calming music and consider how we are feeling at that specific moment. Mindfulness is a practice that I will continue, as I am already beginning to see the benefits and am sure that with time these benefits will magnify and continue to support me on a personal level. Yoga itself has also started to positively affect my breathing, flexibility and fitness and I would like to continue and see the extent this practise would benefit me physically. Incorporating mindfulness and yoga together has been a great experience that I would recommend to anymore. Having such a calm, caring and knowledgeable instructor like Aneta has really supported my understanding and practice of both of these areas.”   

♥ ♥ ♥