STRETCH YOURSELF
We speak to yoga instructors, and sisters, Rachel and Hannah Healy on their top tips for beginners
Thinking of doing your mind and body some good in 2020? Relax, focus and stretch a little. Yoga has an incredible amount of benefits. According to the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, yoga improves mood and anxiety levels more than even walking does.
“Yoga is a union between the mind, body and soul,” says Hannah Healy, Co-Founder of Yoga Mara alongside her sister, Rachel. “It helps to create balance inside in order to lead a more fulfilled and content life. It’s not about being able to touch your toes; it’s what you learn about yourself on the journey there. “
Rachel and Hannah are from Galway and are full-time yoga instructors at Yoga Mara, which provides a comfortable space for people to practice yoga and reconnect with themselves. They run weekly classes and luxury wellness escapes in some of Ireland’s leading 4- and 5-Star hotels, as well as overseas. They also facilitate Zen Hen parties and provide corporate and event wellness.
Rachel Healy says, “Yoga provides an opportunity to be still, to check in and regain a connection with yourself that can be so easily lost in this chaotic world we live in.”
But yoga poses can look overly complicated, so can a beginner try out some yoga at home?
“There are so many yoga poses that you can practice at home, along with many videos led by instructors on YouTube. Our personal favourite is Yoga by Adrienne if you are looking for an online class, as she has such a variety of sequences for various levels.”
The five main poses Rachel and Hannah suggest to practice at home to begin with are: Child’s pose, this is a stretch for the back, hips, thighs and ankles. It can really help to relieve back pain.
Next up is the Cat Cow pose to wake up the spine, followed by...
Downward Facing Dog to stretch out the back body and calves, then...
Forward Fold to stretch out the hamstrings and finally...
Tree pose, to enhance your focus, endurance and bring some balance into your day.
Yoga offers incredible benefits for many people but what does it give Hannah and Rachel personally?
“Yoga helps me to find balance in life,” says Rachel. “It allows me to quieten my mind and find stillness and helped me to discover a lot about myself. I am a lot more content and confident in myself and yoga has definitely played a huge part in that.”
Hannah adds, “Yoga has allowed me to find grounding and perspective when I needed it most. I used to have trouble sleeping and felt off balance in more ways than one. Life will always have unpredictable moments, but practicing the right coping mechanisms to deal with these can help immensely.”
For more information, visit www.yogamaraescapes.com