Health
Yoga teaching styles
Practising yogabenefits the body, mind and soul
WENDY BIRD
Spring 2008 |
Yoga is taught at exercise centres throughout Greater Sudbury and varies in style and technique from teacher to teacher and from class to class.
For some, yoga is simply another form of exercise, for others, yoga is a holistic way to improve one’s life.
For Lana Boyuk, owner of OM Yoga Space in downtown Sudbury, the ancient art is not just another group of exercises performed amid a cloud of incense.
“We don’t teach fluff yoga here,” said Boyuk of her studio, which overflows at lunchtime when many professionals flock to her Elm St. location for invigorating classes.
“There is no room for boredom here. We encourage our clients to feel their emotions and grow.”
Boyuk had a yogic epiphany close to a decade ago. The single mother of two active boys was not feeling well, and felt overwhelmed and consumed by negative energy. In her quest to improve her health, she found a yoga video that she fell in love with.
“My body slid into the postures effortlessly,” Boyuk recalled. “I found that through yoga I became more calm and collected.”
Obviously there had to be more to this exercise experience, she thought. So she decided to learn as much as she could about the art of yoga, taking courses and spending hundreds of hours steeping her body and mind in all things yoga. The experience awakened in her a passion to live a vital life, with clarity, passion and purpose.
“I decided I no longer wanted to be a slave to work,” she said. “So I let go of my business (Asherah Soul and Body Soothers product line) and started teaching.”
When Boyuk decided to join Om Yoga Space founder Jen Wilson and teacher Willa Paterson, little did she know that in a relatively short period she would take over the business as owner. She has been proprietor of the business for the last three years.
“I need to do this. Doing yoga realigns me. There is nothing more potent,” she said thoughtfully.
“When I find myself feeling overwhelmed, disinterested, chaotic, indifferent, confused, lacking in self-worth, or disconnected, yoga is guaranteed to bring me back to a quiet centre where I can re-evaluate what the drama is I am indulging in and get a clearer perspective.
“This is because yoga works on all levels of our being: mind, body, emotions and spirit. I have yet to experience a form of exercise that offers me so much that I feel sated, complete, comforted, empowered and focused.”
Boyuk noted that yoga is not all “sweet and lovely. It is challenging because the mind is being disciplined to be quiet, to focus on something other than the impulsive ego.
Although there are hundreds of techniques involved in different types of yoga, there are basically five principles of that are constant in this ancient practice: proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper diet, and positive thinking and meditation.
The physical building blocks of yoga are posture (asana) and breath. A series of poses held over a period of time — synchronized with breathing —exercises every part of the body.
The health benefits of yoga are many, including:
• The cardiovascular system (heart and arteries) Asanas are isometric exercise, meaning they rely on holding muscle tension for short periods. This improves cardiovascular fitness and circulation. Studies show that regular yoga practice may help normalize blood pressure.
• The digestive system: Improved blood circulation and the massaging effect of surrounding muscles speeds up a sluggish digestion.
• The musculo-skeletal system: Joints move through their full range of motion, encouraging mobility and easing pressure. The gentle stretching releases muscle tension and increases flexibility. Maintaining many asanas encourages strength and endurance. Weight-bearing asanas may help prevent osteoporosis, and when practised carefully under the supervision of a qualified yoga teacher, can also help those suffering from osteoporosis. Long-term benefits include reduced back pain and improved posture.
• The nervous system: Improved blood circulation, easing of muscle tension and the act of focusing the mind on the breath, all work together to soothe the nervous system. Long-term benefits include reduced stress and anxiety levels, and increased feelings of calm and wellbeing.
Boyuk’s typical client is a professional 40-something woman who has a stressful job, sometimes has children, and is in the midst of re-evaluating her life.
“At this point my client is asking herself: ‘am I engaged fully in my life, or am I just existing?’”
Many people begin yoga classes with the intention of becoming physically fit. However, the mental, emotional and spiritual healing that evolves from practising yoga is an added bonus that is, according to Boyuk, an essential part of experiencing the entire realm of this ancient art.
“Everything is stored in our body — every hurt and every trauma,” she said “But have we learned to release it?”
Since OM Yoga Space first got started five years ago, there are clients who have faithfully come each week.
“It’s a lifestyle to them,” Boyuk said “Yoga truly brings them into full ownership of their bodies.”
