I have been doing yoga on and off now for the past ten years. During this time I’ve tried hot yoga, vinyasa, hatha, restorative, yin and acroyoga, the list goes on and on… I’ve enjoyed all of these styles but I’ve something was always missing for me and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
I’ve also tried out lots of different studios but of course no where can beat the chilled out vide of Yard Yoga!
Last month I noticed a new class on the Yard Yoga schedule for Sunday mornings, Kundalini. I knew absolutely nothing about Kundalini (other than it being tradition to wear white during this practice) so I did some research and really liked the sound of it!
There are so many different styles of yoga and I think the various styles can suit particular individuals needs. I personally have a busy life juggling lots of things and can be prone to anxiety. For this reason I prefer yoga classes which can help me forget about work, relax my nervous system and calm my busy thoughts. I find it difficult to explain how Kundalini helped by as if by magic I definitely felt more calm and positive afterwards.
Right from the start this yoga class was completely different to any other I have been to before. Rather than being positioned in neat rows, we started the class by sitting in a circle with a candle burning in the centre. Our teacher Lydia was wonderfully warm and had a calming presence. I immediately felt a lot more relaxed when I entered the room.
The class itself was very varied. It involved lots of meditation and chanting. There was plenty of movement too which was lead by breath work.
The movements were very different to the other styles I’d tried, mainly because they were very rhythmical. It was impossible to worry about day-to day things whilst concentrating fully on the repetitive motion or while chanting!
It was also during this week of first discovering Kundalini that I had lots of personal issues going on including a sudden death in the family and I think that having a more mindful yoga practice really helped keep me grounded and able to offer support to family members.
I know I’m not the only one who suffers with stress related issues. In todays society lots of us lead busy, demanding lifestyles and stress not only has a negative effect on our minds but also on our bodies too. Lots of pain and chronic illness can be avoided through stress reduction.
I’m still completely new to Kundalini and there is lots of theory behind it which I don’t fully understand yet but I do know that it can be a powerful remedy. If you have a busy job, tense muscles or personal ‘stuff’ going on I would definitely recommend trying out Kundalini. The combination of such a relaxing, meditative class within the tranquil setting of Yard Yoga is wonderful.
The timing of this class is perfect too, Sunday morning is an ideal time to give yourself permission to switch off and take some precious time for yourself.
