Find your yoga

August 24, 2016

Finding the right type of yoga for you can be a challenge. Finding a way to fit it into your life so your practice feels natural takes time, and if I’m completely honest I still haven’t discovered that!

Yoga at Home

Doing classes in your own home can be a great way to incorporate yoga into a busy life. You can sit in your pyjamas in your front room, go through a few poses whilst watching TV or squeeze in a stretch in bed when you wake up! YouTube is full of great teachers such as Erin Motz aka Bad Yogi, Yoga with Adrienne and Ekhart Yoga.

I’m also a big fan of the website Yoogaia, who I worked with at the start of this year. What I love about the site, that really sets it apart from other online yoga platforms, are the LIVE classes. You can choose to tune into a yoga class taught live and streamed direct to your laptop. The teacher can see how many students she is talking to, and you can even turn on your webcam if you want her to be able to offer corrections and guidance. This is a great idea if you’re new to yoga or want the feel of a social class, but in the comfort of your own home!

At the moment I’m signed up to Erin from Jasyoga’s online platform which even has 5 minute resets so you have no excuse not to fit them in…

Yoga Classes

Attending an actual class is a great way to start your yoga journey, as you can get the feel for different styles of yoga and be taught the basics by a proper teacher. This means you’re less likely to pick up any bad habits or injure yourself by going headlong into a really difficult inversion! You can also meet other fellow yogis 🙂

I’ve tried classes at lots of different studios over the last few years but my favourites are those that focus on restorative or yin poses such as the Bliss Yoga by Candlelight at Good Vibes. I’m also keen to get involved in sessions that are beneficial for the other activities I take part in, so Yoga for Runners & Cyclists at Good Vibes, Yin for Runners with Paula Hines and the Believe Yoga for Runners course with Jasyoga have all been great options.

I also dabbled in Bikram Yoga for a while when I worked in Surbiton, and for my 29th birthday I was lucky enough to take part in a very memorable yoga class at the top of the Shard!

Yoga Retreats

Going on a yoga retreat is a holiday and a chance to improve your yoga all in one. Even if you don’t have a regular yoga practise on a day-to-day basis, a yoga retreat needn’t be a scary proposition. The myths about them being all diets, detoxes and difficult yoga really aren’t true!

I’ve been lucky enough to attend several of Sally Parkes yoga retreats including Relax and Restore in Seaford, the Revitalise Detox retreat in Arundel and the beautiful Hacienda yoga retreat in Spain. I also headed down to Eastbourne for a mid-week yoga retreat with the lovely Lou Lovegrove.

All of these have revolved around a relaxed, inclusive and friendly atmosphere with yoga classes suitable for all levels, fantastic food and a bunch of lovely people! Whether you’re just looking for a relaxing break, or a way to develop your yoga practise with more one-to-one attention a yoga retreat is an amazing experience.