Yoga can heal body and mind - at a stretch

Published on Thursday 31 July 2008 09:09

IMAGINE waking every morning feeling confident and serene because you are in absolute control of your life.

To many of us, caught in the chaos of trying to juggle work and family life, it's an ideal that's difficult to comprehend.

However, those who have mastered the finer points of the ancient practice of yoga commonly claim that this sense of inner peace can be the norm.

For Vicki Boswell, yoga was the skill that helped her to stave off the panic when faced with a classroom of unruly teenagers.

The 28-year-old Edinburgh University graduate found herself teaching English in Morocco after she decided to leave her Marchmont flat to be with her surf instructor boyfriend Ollie.

It was just so full on and scary because these kids were just so out of control," says Vicki.

"My French wasn't fluent enough to reprimand them and so I just couldn't control them. I ended up dreading each day."

Vicki ended up sobbing in the toilets, only regaining control when she applied a special breathing technique she had learned in yoga classes.

"I then realised I should be doing yoga all the time," says Vicki. "It didn't take me long to get from that to coming up with the idea of a yoga retreat centre."

That was four years ago and since then Vicki, who spent a year in Nepal learning yoga from a guru who lived on a remote mountainside, hasn't looked back.

The centre she runs with her now-husband Ollie, 30, has gone from strength to strength and practising yoga every day means that Vicki has never been happier.

She's not alone. Since yoga was introduced to the UK in the 1950s, participation has grown steadily.

Its origins date back 5000 years to India.

In simplest terms, yoga is an exercise system that consists of a series of postures and sequences of poses combined and defined by breathing techniques.

Edinburgh teacher Karen Breneman, who runs classes at St Mary's Cathedral, says there are many forms of yoga.

Hatha yoga is a good place for anyone to start, she says, as it concentrates on the physical aspects of the practice and includes all of the basic yoga moves and breathing exercises.

Ashtanga yoga is much more physically demanding but is suitable for beginners as long as they are already fit and flexible.

"The practice of yoga is not just about fitness although you will find an increase in fitness after you start," says Karen, 29, a teacher for six years.

For those who take the time to learn the set sequence of moves and postures, they can expect their muscles to become more toned and flexible.

There is also said to be an impact on the body's immune system because of the way the nervous system is stimulated.

This weekend, enthusiasts are set to gather at the Union Yoga Centre on Rodney Street, Edinburgh, for an intensive workshop led by guru Manju Jois who is said to be the world's foremost authority on Ashtanga yoga.

Union yoga director Bruce Mackay enthuses: "Yoga is a natural way to lose weight and greatly reduce stress.

"It teaches you to listen to and respect your body, working to increase strength, flexibility and cardiovascular activity."

It was her love of rock climbing and a desire to improve her strength and flexibility that inspired Morag Forrest, 42, of Leith, to take up yoga.

The solicitor has been practising yoga for 15 years now and finds that it also alleviates the arthritis she has suffered from since she was a child.

She says: "I come away feeling a lot more relaxed and calmer after an hour and a half of doing yoga and it's improved my muscle tone and balance."

Find out about beginners classes by visiting www.edinburghyogacoop.com or www.unionyoga.co.uk. If you fancy giving it a go, Union Yoga offer free taster classes every Monday evening at 7pm. Or you could try finding inner peace in on a Moroccan beach – details of Vicki Boswell's retreat centre can be found at www.surfmaroc.co.uk/yoga.