Uckfield Matters Magazine - July 19 #143

communitymatters
wellbeingmatters
Mindful Movement
by Michelle Pearce
Yoga is our chance to unwind – literally - and pause for breath in our busy
and often breathless worlds.
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One of yoga’s deep pleasures is, for me,
its utter simplicity. So long as you are
wearing clothes that you can move in and
have a level surface beneath your feet, or
a supportive chair beneath your bottom,
you can practice yoga! You don’t even need
expensive trainers- bare feet are best - and
with summer finally here yoga outdoors
– in the garden, the park or on the beach -
can be a sublime way of interacting with a
landscape and a moment more fully.
Every time we roll out the mat at home,
turn up to a class or lie down outside, yoga
offers us a real chance to come back down
to earth, take a little precious time with
ourselves and to notice where we are tense
or tired. It is a chance to slow down, to
notice the breath and ease away tension
through carefully tailored movements
designed to invite mental and physical
release and renewal.
If you are thinking of starting yoga it
is worth doing some research into the
different types on offer, and making
sure it is suitable for your aims, health
and levels of fitness. Hot and Bikram
yogas are physically demanding and take
place in heated rooms - not for the feint
hearted! The disciplined flow of Ashtanga
yoga’s increasingly difficult series, is also
hugely popular with those who want a
yoga workout. There is also the classical