Benefits of Yoga

NAMASTE – The goddess in me recognises the goddess in you. This was my first lesson in yoga, which has now become my forte. This has catapulted me as a recipient in the Influential Woman of the Year 2022 Gauteng, and 3rd place winner in 2019 Adivah Business Women Awards.

I’m a mum to a 27-year old son and an avid yogi to the many who have attended my classes.

My entrepreneurial journey started when I longed for fulfilment which led me to pursue my passion. I am primarily a yoga instructor and nlp coach who takes you from beginner to advanced yoga practices, thus assisting you in holistic healing of the mind and body. Yoga, as you may know, heals and relieves you of pain, illness and stress; bringing you to complete balance and harmony.

This adventure started fourteen years ago when I resigned from the pharmaceutical industry as I could no longer ignore the calling to pursue a business in wellness and healing.

I created a safe space for women to be trained by women when I opened Contours Express Overport, which was an international fitness brand of ‘ladies only’ gyms.

My first yoga teacher training was completed in Bangalore at the Swami Vivekananda Yogic Science ashram. It was there that I understood yoga therapy and ayurvedic eating and loved the transformation in myself.

My second teacher training was completed in Koh Samui in Thailand, where I learnt about Hot Yoga and I loved the benefits of the heat.

My personal practice takes me back 25 years, when I loved spending time on my mat. I’m going to share with you why Yoga is the only noncompetitive activity and just how your body and mind will benefit from regular practice.

Do you often say you want to start your yoga practice? It requires discipline, consistency and patience.

I always say we don’t know or won’t know exactly where our weaknesses and strengths lie until we practice yoga.

Benefits of Yoga

With our current lifestyle and sedentary lifestyles, most people are ending up spending more time at their desk, where long hours, stress, skipping meals and blue light from devices are common. Through yoga poses we learn to breathe and calm the mind. The poses or asanas naturally lower our stress levels and balance hormones as we focus on breathing.

With each yoga poses we gain strength and stamina. By strengthening the skeletal system, our posture improves, our gait (the way we walk) improves and we prevent arthritis and related joint conditions.

The obvious flexibility and mobility benefit is that most think they are not flexible to start yoga, but that’s the reason to start!

By holding poses for longer we help muscles relax and elongate for that toned lean look. With regular yoga we relieve stress and lower our cortisol levels, hence weight loss is eminent over time.

By practising yoga, you are more aware of your body and will soon start making appropriate food choices that will support your practice more than hinder it. With each pose there’s twists, compression and release which improves your blood flow and circulation, also aiding your digestion.

The restful sleep pose is one of my favourites as sleep is precious and disturbed sleep patterns can cause the body to age and this is where mood swings and temperament sets in. Certain yoga poses build and develops balance. We will never know if we can balance or not unless at a party as a trick. Practicing daily helps develop balance, coordination and reflex action.

My other favourite is just a general sense of happiness and overall accomplishment after an hour on the yoga mat.

Overall, all illness and disease can be prevented, a life can be prolonged with full vitality by daily yoga practice.