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01367 246130 | [email protected]Looking to tweak your
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Read our articles in the
Online Magazine.Then find a practitioner
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Directories.om body
improvements in my flexibility or strength.
It’s only when I committed to stepping onto
my mat daily, or at least five times a week,
that things started to shift. Do the work,
and you’ll reap the benefits.- It will empower you mentally
With every crow hold, chaturanga, and
warrior, you’ll grow stronger. Not just
physically, but mentally too. I remember
the first time that I held pincha mayurasana
for only a second. It felt amazing, I was so
surprised at myself that I almost nosedived
into the sofa. All these little triumphs are
part of a much bigger picture - your own
self-belief and trust. So keep on practicing,
keep on failing, keep on falling. Then get
back up and do it all again. - Little and often
It doesn’t need to be an hour every day.
Seriously. Ten minutes every day will be
way better for your practice, for your
strength and flexibility. The body thrives on
consistency and movement, so if you only
spend one hour a week moving through
yoga, you’ll be much tighter in that hour
than if you’d practiced every day. Less is
definitely more, as I’ve come to learn! - Self practice counts
This is a big one. Do your own self-practice.
Step on your mat, daily if possible, if
only for a few minutes. While classes are
a fantastic way to learn, exploring what
you’ve learned after the class on your
own mat is a great way to really absorb
everything you’ve learned, and try new
things. This was a massive game-changer
for me and I’ve really seen my flexibility,
creativity on the mat and strength improve
as a result. - Find your style
There are so many styles out there that
it’s hard not to get confused. Yin, vinyasa,
power, dynamic, hatha, ashtanga, kundalini,
lyengar...the list goes on. I tried several styles
before settling on vinyasa and yin as my two
main loves. So when you’re first starting out,
go to as many different classes as possible
and dip your toes into new styles. You might
just find your perfect match. - Find your teachers
A great yoga teacher is a gift who will
continue to inspire your practice for a long
time. But there are so many not-so-great
yoga teachers out there. It’s important to
find one that really sees you, offers you the
best adjustments and gives the best cues
that you actually understand. Try and stick
with a couple or three main teachers and
give them a chance to see you grow, to
watch your journey. If you flitter from one
teacher to the next, sure you’ll learn a hell
of a lot of new things, but you’ll likely not
build a real relationship with your teacher
or an understanding, which is so important
when you’re learning.- Be kind to yourself
Release the judgement, the fear, the
negative self-talk about your body. I’ve
come a long way since 10 years ago, where
I often powered through yoga classes or
exercise that I really didn’t need to do.
I’ve since learnt to be kinder to myself, to
listen when my body needs to rest. It’s hard,
admittedly, but so worth it. As the saying
goes, your body is your temple. Look after
it, and it will look after you. - Learn to let go
Practicing yoga can start to become
addictive, especially with all the posts you
see on social media these days of yogis
with seemingly never-ending flexibility and
strength. I went through a phase of being
so determined to conquer a particular pose
that I lost sight of what I enjoyed about my
practice in the first place: it enables me
to let go and move freely. If you get too
caught up with a goal and too attached to
the outcome, it can start to eat away at
you if it doesn’t happen as quickly as you
want. So let go of achieving something in a
certain time frame, and enjoy the journey. - Find your tribe
Yoga has become a practice of community.
There are so many people practicing out
there that you can see on social media.
Instagram is a huge source of inspiration
to me, and I’ve found people that I’ve
connected with in the real world through
yoga, that inspire me every day on
Instagram. Whether it’s the people you meet
in a yoga class, or friends you find on your
yoga teacher training, hold on to them and
let them inspire you, just as you’re probably
inspiring them.
Sarah Fretwell is a yoga instructor and
writer (sarahfretwellyoga.com)“Fast forward 10 years,
and this is what I’ve
learnt on my yoga
journey. I hope some
of it resonates with you.”Worldmags.net