Yoga revives physical and mental vitality
Cape Town International Yoga Day is on June 17. Joëlle Sleebos will be hosting 2 000 yogis, writes Viwe Ndongeni
I left my master’s degree in economics to pursue a career in fitness. I discovered yoga in 2007 in Australia.
In the beginning, my yoga practice was just an additional form of exercise, but since 2010, I started teaching yoga and it became my main form of exercise.
I tried juggling two careers, as an economist and yoga teacher, but in the end I decided to focus full-time on what I’m passionate about – increasing people’s quality of life by helping them to improve their physical and mental vitality.
Yoga is so much more than just a physical exercise. It’s a journey where I get to know myself better and learn to listen to my body, mind and breath.
My mat is my safe playground where I learn and experience emotions, challenges and thoughts that help me to be a better me when out in the world.
I love the fact that yoga is not competitive. In our society we are very competitive, and I used to be like that.
But thanks to yoga I have learnt to live my life to the fullest without having to be better than anyone else.Yoga is my love and my life. What are the different types of yoga?
There are many types of yoga. The easiest division is traditional versus modern.
Traditional yoga is a spiritual practice, with a goal of union with the absolute or the divine, while modern yoga focuses more on fitness. Another form of yoga is Yang vs Yin. Yan is a strong physical practice with lots of standing poses, and it is physically challenging. It is a stimulating practice.
Yin, on the other hand, is a softer practice where the purpose is to rest the body and mind so it can recover. This focuses on a fixed sequence of poses in the same order versus Yang yoga, where poses get mixed, it’s more creative.
With Ashtanga, otherwise known as Bikram, the poses are always the same and in the same order. This is nice for beginners as they will feel confident and familiar with the poses and notice the progress per pose quickly.
In the Vinyasa class there is a specific theme that focuses on heart-opening, hip-opening, balancing, strength and many more aspects. With this one the teacher is free to choose the poses, the order and the flow.
Another type of yoga is heated yoga vs non-heated yoga. This can be practised in a heated studio or in a non-heated area. What are the benefits of yoga ?
The benefits of yoga are many. Most commonly, yoga improves your health and blood flow. It improves your flexibility, strength and posture, as well as building muscle.
It also maintains a balanced metabolism, helps with cardio and circulatory health, and can protect from injury. On a more spiritual level it promotes calmness and helps you focus. How popular is yoga among fitness lovers?
In the 1970s, yoga used to be seen as something for the hippies. But now it is integrated into the fitness world. Most fitness clubs and gyms now offer yoga classes.
As a personal trainer I always recommend that people focus their training programme on three elements: strength, cardio, and flexibility/mobility.
However, most fitness lovers focus on building muscles, strength or cardio but forget the importance of maintaining flexibility and mobility. What are the current yoga trends?
Yoga has existed for centuries and originates from India. There is a difference between traditional yoga practices, like ashtanga, Iyengar and hatha yoga, and the modern types of yoga like vinyasa yoga, power yoga and Bikram yoga.
The latest trend is suspension yoga, which includes sculpt yoga, wheel yoga and acro yoga. Yoga retreats and yoga holidays are also popular. What is happening on Yoga Day?
Adidas South Africa and I have joined forces to present the International Day of Yoga at the Cape CTICC on Saturday, uniting 2 000 yogis for yoga and charity.
Entries are free but you must have a ticket. Participants can choose between a morning session from 8.30am to 1.30pm or an afternoon session from 2pm to 7pm.
Both sessions will have yoga workshops and a yoga market.
Participants are encouraged to donate to two charities, the Earthchild Project and Mothers2mothers, which schools and teaches yoga and life skills to underprivileged children, and empowers women living with HIV/Aids.