Yogis find love in the botanical garden
Yoga Wena offered a three-hour buffet of different yoga styles to experienced and first-timers on Saturday.
MBOMBELA – Who knew so many people in the Lowveld were interested in yoga?
More than 70 enthusiasts, many trying yoga for the first time, were treated to a smorgasbord of different styles during a three-hour workshop on Saturday morning.
It took place in the beautiful botanical garden, the perfect setting in which to reconnect with yourself and switch off your phone.
The Lowveld has a number of teachers offering classes in a variety of different yoga styles, but sometimes when they team up magic happens. Saturday was no exception.
Shameen Yacoob and Melissa Adey established Yoga Wena a few years ago, teaching their styles in a combined session.
Unorthodox, but it worked; Melissa’s vinyasa hatha as a gentle warm-up, followed by Shameen’s more rigorous kundalini class and ultimate meditation.
On Saturday they were joined by Melanie Reeder-Powell in an added ashtanga class. Each spent about 45 minutes and in keeping with Valentine’s Day on Sunday, the theme was finding self-love.
What better way to find love within yourself than by treating your body and mind to a session of reconnection: All yoga is about breathing, helping one reconnect with one’s self, physically and psychologically.
Vinyasa hatha is a gentle set of poses performed in a flow. Ashtanga is similar, but follows a series of set poses with a ujjayi pranayama breath which vibrates into one’s innards and generates heat.
A propensity for contortionism is not required and often one is surprised at what one’s body can do.
Both styles use breath as a means of facilitating movement: breathe in – go into a pose, breathe out – get out of a pose.
Kundalini yoga requires more movement, the repetition allows practitioners to go deeper into a “pose”.
It stimulates the glands and tires out the body to prepare it for meditation. Getting into a breathing rhythm facilitates the movements, which is trying, but opens up space in the body.
Following this is a meditation, often to a mantra which calms the body down again. A mantra, a set of basic sounds, is meant to help one cut through the set repetitive patterns established in the mind, to allow for change. Yet, yoga is not as prescriptive as one might expect.
Participants are encouraged to do the sets and challenge themselves, but not hurt their bodies and instead be mindful of what they are doing, listening to their bodies in order to reconnect.
Under the expert guidance of these three experienced teachers, participants left the class feeling looser, more relaxed and more in touch with themselves.
The different styles complement one another when these three do them together.
First-timers Nhlanhla and her sister, Olgah Mhlongo, said they loved their introduction, and couldn’t wait to do yoga again.
Not all yoga can be for everyone. To discover what you like, don’t miss the next Yoga Wena workshop – date to be announced.
Melanie and Shameen teach at the latter’s studio in Steiltes, and Melissa at Old Joe’s Kaia in Schoemanskloof. Enquiries: Melissa on 076-147-7670, Melanie on 082-974-5035 and Shameen on 083-785-5695.
- Read more: Do yoga, wena, for fun!
