Yoga

I started practicing yoga on the Gold Coast back in 2003. At first it was so boring to me. I felt like I needed to be moving really fast to get a workout so it was torture to go through this sequence of sloooowwwwwww movements every day. But yoga is all about finding the right teacher and the right style. For me, this style is Ashtanga. This system of yoga was brought to the western world by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and is a strong form of yoga producing intense internal heat which detoxes the body and calms the mind.

I am not a fan of Bikram yoga. I don't think that you need to heat a yoga space to such high temperatures as enough heat is generated in your own body and from those around you. In India yoga is practiced before sunrise to avoid high tempatures! Bikram yoga is often favoured as people feel light and 'thinner' afterwards. This is a deception though as you have only lost a huge amount of fluid which you will need to replenish straight away or face dehydration.

My advice is to attend a few different yoga studios and get a feel for your practice and don't give up just because you don't like one class or one teacher. I love Dharma Shala in North Bondi if you are starting out or if you are really serious about progressing your practice I would recommend Eileen Hall at Yogamoves. Eileen is one of the few teachers in the world certified in both Iyenger and Ashtanga yoga having trained with B.K.S Iyenger and Pattabhi Jois (pictured) in for many years in India.

It's important to know where your teacher has trained. Many teachers become qualified after having no yoga background and simply doing a short course. They really don't have the complex knowledge that is needed to teach not just the physical postures but all 8 limbs of yoga. Injuries can occur when teachers push students into postures they are not ready for. So ask around, word of mouth is vital. Make sure you communicate with your teacher too. Let them know if you have any injuries or any fears about the class. And if they try to get you to do a headstand at your first session, you've got the wrong teacher...xxx