Tag Archives: ashtanga yoga

First Impressions of Les Mills Body Balance release 67

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It’s nearly 2015.

After the excesses of Hogmanay, fitness classes will soon be packed with people trying to work off “holiday bloat”.

What better way to get started than to see the New Year in with the latest Les Mills releases.

Are you ready for Les Mills Body Balance release 67? I’ve been learning the moves and listening to the music for a few weeks now. Here are my first impressions.

First Impressions of Les Mills Body Balance release 67
Tai Chi Warm Up
  • Diana Mills, one of the programme choreographers, was pregnant during the shoot. You can be sure that this release is perfect for expectant mothers. Plenty of options. Though I did cringe slightly when I saw Diana deep in Swan Pose with her heel pressing deeply into her tummy.
  • “Back to basics” is the theme of this release. Perfect for a New Year with many first timers coming to class.
  • Our warm up consists of a lovely simple Tai Chi sequence and a traditional sun salutation flow. No complexity allows you to master the basic moves quickly.
  • We hear two completely different songs for the Standing Strength routine. A departure from the usual, “play the song twice, once on the right and once on the left”. You’ll see a new version of Warrior 2 pose here. The Joyous Warrior. And although they don’t mention it by name that looks like a Humble Warrior to me.
  • At 8 minutes, the hips track delivers intensity. Glorious stretches and we spend a long time in Swan Pose. The song is a lovely one but becomes weird during those swan poses. What do you think of that long Outro?
  • At only 2 minutes 30 odd seconds it’s the shortest Core Abs track ever. And it’s not a trick like last time. There’s no second, longer one to surprise you.

Looks like another solid class. Can’t say I’ve been blown away by it and I’m struggling to decide what’s the stand out moment. Probably the hips track.

Now it’s your turn:

Did you go to the Quarterly Workshops? What do you think of Les Mills Body Balance release 67? Are you a participant? Have you been to the new class? Please leave a comment below or a link to your review.

5 Reasons to Start Yoga Before the Holidays

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It’s a great time of year to consider taking up yoga.

I’m serious.

I know you’re thinking the opposite. With wind howling and rain lashing against the windows the last thing you want is to go to a yoga class, right? Plus you have Christmas presents to buy, parties to go to, and Christmas dinner to plan.

Although it’s fun, Christmas brings stress into your life. Yoga helps you relax. If you’re busy with work you might have stopped exercising. Yoga helps you strengthen and tone your body.

5 Reasons to Start Yoga

Yoga is exercise for your mind and your body.

Here are 5 benefits of yoga. 5 Reasons to start yoga before the holidays.

Less stressed

You combine the physical exercises you do in yoga with relaxation and breathing techniques creating calmness and a lower heart rate.

Enhanced mindfulness and mental calm can leave you feeling less stressed.

Re-energised

Apart from the more cardio-based forms of yoga, such as Power Yoga, you won’t find that your energy fade during a yoga class. Indeed you will find yourself re-energised and feeling quite vigorous after class.

Better flexibility

You don’t need much flexiblility to start doing yoga, but every class you attend will make you more flexible. Yoga moves stretch your body and over time will increase your range of motion.

Better muscle tone

Yoga tones your muscles. Most of the poses involve either strengthening or stretching. You can develop long lean muscles with yoga. In fact you can work pretty much every muscle in the body.

And the flow of exercises mean you’ll get a cardiovascular work out as well and getting stronger.

Better posture

Improved flexibility and increased strength improves your posture. You will find that your balance will get better too.

And finally everyone benefits. Don’t listen to the clichés. You don’t have to be a bendy girl to do yoga. No matter what your age, size, shape or level of fitness you do it and see results.

Now it’s Your Turn:

So even though it’s nearly Christmas and you’re busy. Even though you have a hundred things to do. Get yourself along to a Yoga class.

Or at least book yourself a block of classes for the New Year. Make Yoga your Christmas present to yourself.

9 Yoga Christmas Gift Ideas for 2014

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Are you looking for some Yoga Gift Ideas for Christmas?

Whilst looking for some decent male Yoga Clothes I ventured off on a tangent and discovered a whole host of goodies.

Yoga Pants. Tops. Mats. DVDs. Books. Here are some of my favourite. If you like the look of them just click on the image for the Amazon Page.

Tribal Earth Cotton Yoga Trousers With Beautiful Cross Over

9 Yoga Christmas Gift Ideas for 2014

I like these so much I almost bought myself a pair. At the top end of the price range at £39.99. Practice yoga in style next year.

And to go with them:

Mountain Warehouse Ashtunga Womens Yoga Top

9 Yoga Christmas Gift Ideas for 2014

A bargain at only £9.99. Available in a few colours. I love the motif at the waist.

Womens Soft Elastic Waistband Fitness Yoga Herem Pants

9 Yoga Christmas Gift Ideas for 2014

If you want vibrant colours check out this range. £23.99

And now for the gentlemen. It’s much harder to source good yoga clothes for men. What do you think of these rather interesting trousers?

Thai Fisherman Pants Yoga Trousers

9 Yoga Christmas Gift Ideas for 2014

At £18.99 I am tempted with these myself.

Mens Chakra yoga pants

9 Yoga Christmas Gift Ideas for 2014

And a more traditional looking pair at £54.99.

And now you’re going to need a Yoga Mat.

Yoga Mad Warrior Plus Yoga Mat

9 Yoga Christmas Gift Ideas for 2014

Love the colours. Only £21.99.

Here are a couple of DVDs worth checking out.

Flow Yoga – Strength & Flexibility DVD

9 Yoga Christmas Gift Ideas for 2014

As a Power Yoga teacher I like the flows in this DVD. I’ve taken a few of the routines and modified them for my own classes.

Journey Into Power

9 Yoga Christmas Gift Ideas for 2014

Baron Baptiste is a great Power Yoga Teacher. One of his early videos this captures a routine that’s challenging but achieveable by everyone. Power Yoga in your living room.

And finally a great book from Ashtanga Yoga master David Swenson. Spiral bound, it looks great and contains everything you need to know about Ashtanga.

Ashtanga Yoga – The Practice Manual

9 Yoga Christmas Gift Ideas for 2014

Now it’s your turn:

I hope you like these suggested Yoga Christmas Gift Ideas for 2014. If you have any others you’d like to share please leave a comment and a link below.

The answer to, “How long will it take to get flexible by doing Yoga?”

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You don’t need to be flexible to do yoga.

But by practising yoga you will become flexible.

That’s a fact.

I’ve written about it on this blog before. I am living proof that it works and I’ve seen the effect on the people who come to my classes. The big question people ask next is, “How long will it take to get flexible by doing yoga?”

flexible by doing yoga

Let me tell you about what happened to me and then I’ll answer that.

Before I started going to yoga classes, and a long time before I decided I wanted to teach it, I wasn’t flexible.

Not at all. A typical male into running and weight training combined with little or no stretching. Short and tight muscles constrained me. I couldn’t touch my toes when I bent over. In fact I couldn’t reach any lower than my knees.

The first yoga class I did was an easy Hatha class. Basic poses and some deep breathing. I found some of them difficult because of my inflexibility. But the teacher was great. She told me not to over exert and to take it easy. I ached the following day, but stuck at it. After a few weeks I definitely felt more flexible. I still couldn’t touch my toes but I felt I could get lower. Even if it was only an inch.

I’ve now been participating and then teaching for nearly 10 years and do you know what? I can touch my toes now. With my legs dead straight with no bend at the knees. I’m not sure exactly when it happened.

But one day in a forward fold I suddenly thought, “Hey! I can touch my toes.” I was so happy. It felt like a great achievement.

How long will it take to get flexible by doing yoga

What I can’t do however, in downward facing dog, is press my heels flat  into the floor like some more flexible people can. I probably never will be able to. I definitely won’t ever be able to wrap my feet behind my ears. Sometimes individuals are just not built that way.

But It doesn’t matter. You just go as far as is comfortable.

I wasn’t flexible before I started doing yoga but by doing yoga I have become much more flexible.Click to tweet this.

So going back to the question, “How long will it take to get flexible by doing yoga?” The answer is different times for different people. But that doesn’t matter either.

You will become more flexible than you currently are as soon as you start practising yoga. And you will become even more flexible, in whatever small or large degree, every time you practice again.

The complete journey to flexibility might be a long one or a short one. That’s not what is important. The important thing is making the first step on the journey.

Now it’s your turn:

Were you like me? Short tight muscles and no flexibility? How has yoga improved you? Are you looking to start taking yoga classes? Are there any other questions that you have? Please post a comment, or a question, or anything you like in the box below.

I originally published this article in May 2012. I've now updated and expanded upon the original.