Yoga. Good for what ails ya.

Written by Kat Skull

I once left a friend in incredulous disgust after telling him that I thought that we could achieve world peace if everyone did yoga. After a brief silence where the vein in his forehead began to ever so gently throb, he managed to splutter that this was utter nonsense (well, a word that meant ‘nonsense’, I’ve cleaned it up for your lovely selves). Ok, so perhaps world peace is a little idealistic but I truly believe that the world would be an infinitely better place if we all practiced yoga.

What makes me think this? Well, I know that I am an infinitely better person when I practise. 

Yoga had always fascinated me and when I finally began to practise back in 2007 I felt that I had found what had been missing in my life. It seemed to fill in a gap in my circuit and got things flowing again. My practice has ebbed and flowed in the past 3 years with regular yoga often being forsaken for ‘Life’ but it’s always waiting patiently for my return. Like when you’re a teenager and you stay out all night and upon your return home Mum is waiting with a cup of tea, marmite on toast and a cuddle. Welcome, satisfying and so comforting.

Working in a health food shop I find myself suggesting yoga for almost every ailment. Stressed? Yoga. Insomnia? Yoga. Want to lose weight? Yoga. Depressed? Trouble concentrating? Someone took your car park? Yoga, yoga, yoga. We live in a fast world where time is elusively lacking, convenience is paramount and if you aren’t stressed you simply aren’t working hard enough. “When do I have time to do yoga?” you ask. Without hyperbole I have to wonder how we can afford not to find the time. A glorious 60-90 minutes of you, your body and your breath. You stretch long-neglected muscles, massage your vital organs and breathe consciously. There is a complete surrender to the moment with nothing existing outside of you and your mat. Radical. If a class isn’t possible there is a wealth of short sequences available on the internet but the knowledge of an experienced teacher to put you on the right track is pretty invaluable.

I recently stumbled upon a series of FREE Podcasts by yogadownload.com that are awesome and available via iTunes. They require a basic working knowledge of the poses but novices can access the simply print the companion pose guide off. They go for a mere 20 minutes. Totally do-able! No excuses now my petals!
There are so many different types of yoga that there is a style for everyone. Whether you value the precision of Iyenger, the vigourous discipline of Ashtanga or perhaps the fluid dance of vinyasa flow there is something out there just for you! Half the fun is trying, and I challenge anyone to do a yoga class and not feel brilliant after. You don’t have to be vegetarian, wear flowing white robes or change your name to Petula. But you can if you like! You don’t have to be bendy or touch your toes. Yoga does not discriminate!  You simply need a mat, some time and a bit of a smile. You’ll leave class feeling like you have swept the cobwebs from your head and polished the cupboards of your mind. So go on, get out there and kick some asana!