It wasn’t love at first sight. My first time with yoga was more of a flirtation and I liked it. I tried yoga for the first time about four years ago in 2011 and knew there was something about it that I enjoyed but I couldn’t quite grasp that whole yoga vibe that many seem to sing from the rooftops whilst doing a headstand.

Over time I went to a few yoga classes and again enjoyed it but still wasn’t feeling that true connection which I yearned for as I heard so many praising the wonders of yoga. The idea of yoga kept appealing to me which is why I kept going to the classes. But in time I started to lose interest as it was just “too relaxing” and my mind would wander when in classes. This is not the idea of yoga!

Then, something changed. Almost two years ago in 2013 I was in a pretty bad car accident which completely killed my car but luckily not me. Surprisingly I didn’t have major injuries that needed the A&E department, however I had severe back pains leading to a few problems from the neck to shoulders to the back. I started seeing a physiotherapist straight away with regular treatment for quite awhile and this massively helped with the exercises prescribed and massages. A few months before the accident I had started changing my mindset to exercise knowing that I needed to make big changes to help my body heal after doing CrossFit for over two years with my body suffering from injuries (and excess bodyfat). I had already started making changes to my weekly training programme, and with the new addition of a car accident my mind was completely set on healing my body.

My training programme turned into a rehabilitation exercise programme. I worked out with less intensity, only lifting weights a couple of times a week with more of a focus on traditional bodybuilding in order to work the muscles at a better pace and help the body to truly listen to what I was asking it to do. This was such a massive learning curve and one I absolutely enjoyed. On top of that I started going out for walks more regularly. I did go out walking before but making sure I did weekly walks became a priority as it helped my mind relax and change perspective, whilst helping my body to still keep active at a much steadier pace. To top it off I added in yoga! I purchased a yoga DVD and started doing one yoga session a week at home, sometimes it would be twice a week depending on how I felt. Again, this type of yoga was more relaxed but I wanted to get myself into it in order to help my injuries heal with better focus on the body. The bodybuilding sessions with lighter weights plus walking plus yoga were a massive hit with helping my body to heal from the CrossFit injuries and the car accident injuries. I started noticing positive changes in my body composition whilst feeling more relaxed and less tense in the injured areas. But, I knew this style of yoga was still not for me. It was a great introduction to more movements and poses which I enjoyed but something was missing.

I think the problem with all the yoga sessions I had been doing were that they were too slow paced and probably the hatha type of yoga. That is not to say you shouldn’t do it as you might really love it, but it wasn’t for me.

Fast forward almost one year and something changed. This was the real change. At the beginning of this year I learnt about another type of yoga after watching a few videos online and loved the look of this style. Let me introduce you to vinyasa flow yoga.

Vinyasa Flow Yoga

What is vinyasa flow yoga? Vinyasa means “breath-synchronised movement,” and Vinyasa yoga is a series of poses that will move you through the power of inhaling and exhaling. Vinyasa movements are smoothly flowing and almost dance-like, which explains why it is sometimes referred to as Vinyasa Flow or just Flow.

For awhile I have been yearning to get back into dancing or something alike as I was a dancer for years and absolutely loved it. Well, when I saw this style of yoga it hit me that THIS was made for me. It looked amazing and I knew I needed to try it, so I did. After my first vinyasa flow I was hooked and I knew I had finally found the style of yoga that I would love and cherish. My dancer heart has found peace with vinyasa flow yoga. There is an amazing woman, Tamara Levinson-Campos, who has named a new style Yogance which combines dancing and yoga, and I know that I will be trying this once my body feels more flexible and injury free.

Why I Love Vinyasa Flow Yoga

Dance

I was a dancer for years from about 3 or 4 years old up until early 20’s, so about 20 years, this included in later years cheerleading which incorporates a different style of dance (this is proper cheerleading with all the stunts, gymnastics and dance). I love the rhythm of various styles of dance whilst learning individual moves then piecing them together into a routine. This is one concept I love about vinyasa flow yoga as you go through different moves then piece them together into a flow. On top of this, in this yoga I’m doing handstands, backbends, push ups, splits, squats and stretching, elements from my dancing days and recent years of strength training.

Mental Focus

When doing these yoga sessions I’m able to switch off and fully immerse myself into the routine. I was not able to do this with the other yoga practices I did previously. My mind is on the movements, and when fully focused I’m using the muscles properly and engaging them with sheer determination. Let’s just say I get the yoga vibe!

Rehabilitation

As mentioned earlier, I was in a pretty awful car accident which left my body with major aches and pains, more so in the back, neck and shoulders. On top of that I still had injury ‘niggles’ from the CrossFit days. Some of these injuries did start to fix when doing the routine I mentioned with lighter weight lifting, walking and the other yoga. My body still had signs of weakness and slight aches. Doing this type of yoga I have noticed my body has really taken on board the proper use of the muscles and I can feel the aches and pains going more quickly. Another injury I acquired (yeah, I’m good at injuries) was late February this year when out walking the then only one dog. I slipped in mud and my leg went underneath my body at a funny angle, surprisingly I didn’t break anything even after hearing a snap. I was house bound for two weeks, then slowly able to move around more and get out for walks. I was still able to do some weight lifting (upper body) and certain yoga movements. As time progressed so did the improvement of my injury. This style of yoga has massively helped my rehab on the leg due to building up the mobility around my ankle and knee, strengthening the whole leg and huge improvements on balance. It’s safe to say my body feels good doing this yoga, and I’m now at a place where my injuries are so close to waving goodbye!

Fun

I absolutely love it! I’ve always been an active bunny since a wee kiddo. Dancing, swimming, cheerleading, rollerblading and cycling; I’ve grown up doing activities for pure enjoyment. It has only been since becoming a personal trainer that things changed a little as I was learning about different fitness activities. I have learnt that I truly enjoy weight training but not doing it all the time, I love bodyweight exercises such as pull ups, I love walking every day with my dogs, and I have truly fallen in love with vinyasa flow yoga. It feels great to be back in a place of doing activities simply because I love them. The added bonus is keeping active helps the body be heathy and fit, so I always highly recommend you find activities to do that you actually enjoy.

Peace

When doing my yoga sessions my mind feels amazing. I’m completely in the zone and enjoy every movement as I flow through each pose. Even when the pups are running around me trying to join in, I give them a kiss, whilst feeling truly content in going into Chaturanga Dandasana.  After the session my mind still feels amazing from the pace of the exercise rather than it being go-go-go all the time.

Yoga Dog

The beauty of doing yoga at home means it is super convenient to grab my yoga mat and get straight into it whilst having the pups roaming around. My dogs are amazing (of course) and every time I get the mat out they both come over and stretch on the mat, it’s hilarious, and it’s like they know that’s what you should do on the mat. They both do very impressive downward dogs which helps me to learn a thing or two! It really is an incredible feeling when the dogs are relaxed by my side as I go through the flows, it’s very comforting, especially when they crawl underneath me to see what’s going on, or walk up to my face to lick it as I’m in a handstand.

Benefits of Yoga

Here are some known health benefits from practicing many styles of yoga.

Increased flexibility

Improves balance

Increased lubrication of the joints, ligaments and tendons

Builds muscle strength

Perfect your posture

Increases blood flow

Boosts mood – makes you happier!

Relaxing to the mind and body

Helps mental focus

Increases self-esteem

Helps you to tune in with your mind and body

Can improve sleep

One vinyasa flow yoga teacher I am absolutely loving at the moment is Michelle aka BananaBlondie108. You can find her on YouTube: bananablondie108 with various tutorials and yoga practices. Plus, she runs thrivingplantbased.com where you can get access to longer yoga classes.

If you are wanting to find the yoga vibe the key is to try a few styles of yoga and see which one you connect with. Then go to classes, follow DVD’s, watch YouTube channels or subscribe to online classes of your favourite yoga practice.

Namaste xx