YOGA with Wendy
Revitalize Your Soul
“Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees.”
B.K.S. Lyengar
Yoga
Yoga is traditionally a practice that embodies physical, mental, and spiritual. In Sanskrit, yoga is translated as Union, joining, or yoking. So Yoga can be defined as a practice which joins the physical body with the mental, emotional and spiritual body. In our modern day time, most people tend to think about yoga as just Asana which is the physical part of the practice. In truth this is just a small part of yoga but nonetheless a very important part of the practice. Practicing Asana helps us to feel better in our body, heal injuries and become stronger to live a more vital, energised, and engaged life. Practicing asana or yoga postures helps to get people to yoga, get people on the mat (people who maybe would never have tried yoga if they thought it was just a spiritual practice) and it is there they can discover themselves and yoga more deeply.
Pranayama and Breath-Work
Breath-work is the modern day term for Pranayama. Pranayama is an ancient Yoga practice that has intelligent insights in how to keep our body’s chemistry healthy. The main purpose of our breathing is to oxygenate our cells so we can be healthy, happy, and energised. But this can only happens when we breathe correctly, or take a functional breath. Which is a Abdominal-diaphragmatic breath. Functional breathing is the basis of my practice and teachings. Breath-work and pranayama are breathing techniques that manipulate, control and observe our breath for desired outcomes. Through these practices one can connect to their own Prana or life force. Yogis use the simple act of focusing on our breath to help tether the mind towards the present moment.
Meditation
Meditation is an ancient practice of techniques that encourage a heightened state of awareness and focused attention. It is the practice of working with the mind and being present to one's thoughts, and observing them without reacting to them. There are many types of meditation. Mindfulness is what I traditionally practice. On a deeper and more traditional level, meditation can be thought of as two parts. The first is Dharana, which is the initial stage of meditation, focusing on one point concentration and the present moment. Over time, this practice naturally leads to the seventh limb Dhyana which is meditation. So first we must deeply concentrate (Dharana) then we can meditate (Dhyana).
