Yoga for beginners

June 21^st marks the International Day of Yoga, an ancient discipline originating in India and practised by more than 500 million people worldwide. This number has not stopped growing in the last year and a half due to the anxiety and stress caused by the health crisis, mobility restrictions and social distancing. In this scenario of uncertainty, staying balanced can be difficult and Yoga helps us to achieve that.

Yoga, which in Sanskrit means union, is precisely that: the union between body, mind and breathing. The first thing that Rachel Rose, Mind & Body expert at SHA Wellness Clinic, explains is that “everyone, regardless of age and physical condition, can practice it. However, it is important to clarify that you don’t need to be a yogi to do yoga. Yoga has a series of ideas, an ethic, a lifestyle and even a diet that demand a lot from the person practising it. Don’t be impressed or put off by those almost impossibly elastic poses you see on some Instagram accounts, because Yoga is much more than that. It is a mind-body practice that brings into the light what is in darkness, and into awareness what is in unconsciousness”.

Moreover, yoga can be practised anywhere, at any time, no special equipment is needed and the results are immediate. But, as Rachel assures us, “the most important thing, and what is almost never said, is that practising Yoga is enormously pleasurable: you lie on the floor, you concentrate on your breathing, you disconnect from the world and you find yourself again. Through the conscious coordination of movement and breathing, you will notice, from the very first class, a state of deep relaxation, and by activating, moving and stretching the whole body, you will discover certain muscles that you often didn’t even know existed”.

So, if you want to improve your physical, mental and emotional health, concentration and coordination, control stress, sleep better, combat sedentary lifestyles, put an end to back pain caused by remote working, be aware of the here and now and you are looking for serenity, personal wellbeing and inner peace, Yoga is the solution. Namaste.