To mark International Yoga Day on 21st June this week’s episode Wendy talks to Clare Whitehouse from The Yoga Collective in Lichfield. Wendy also has her clinic office at the yoga studio. Listen to the episode on ITunes.
The episode was recorded in the middle of the CV-19 epidemic at a social distance. Clare talks about the ancient practise and how that relates to modern world, particularly in raising awareness of our body and mind and cutting through the noise of life.
Yoga has many health benefits, a quick search on Pub Med shows many science backed reviews and studies on the benefits from chronic illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Wendy recommends yoga to many of her clients. It can help to reduce stress, improve flexibility and strength and is beneficial in improving gut health. Yoga can be practised by everyone regardless of how young, old or mobile they are. One of the key elements of yoga is to ensure the body is correctly warmed up before trying any moves, and each move has many adaptations so that they are appropriate to you.
Its roots are thousands of years old and one of the most famous translations of the word yoga is ‘quieting of the mind’. The practise of yoga calls for the participants to work at their own pace. There are lots of different types of yoga that require lightness or strength and there is a practise that suits everyone.
Flexibility and strength in the body and the mind are key to yoga and Clare likens it to her ‘old age pension!’
Many people spend much of their lives sitting which shortens and tightens the body, and then do intensive exercise which shortens it even further. Yoga takes time to build strength and balance, but it isn’t results driven, it should be about long term investment and a practise you bring into your lives.
The CV-19 pandemic forced Clare and her business partner Lynny to take the studio online and they have really flourished during this time. They hope that this has made their classes more accessible especially for those that don’t’ want to come into the studio. Although they are keen to get back into the studio the online classes will remain in some way.
To find out more about The Yoga Collective