Yoga for daily life and its main benefits

Yoga, on and off the mat to navigate life with ease ...

Rumi, a famous 13th century poet and scholar said "Remember the entrance door to the sanctuary is inside you" . Yoga has never been so popular as it is now…

For some people, it takes a crisis to take up this ancient practice, or maybe it is to stay strong, mobile and supple, to improve your posture, to get rid of that back pain… For others, it simply helps them to find a sense of calm and inner peace.

Yoga is a philosophy, science and an art, first described in old Sanskrit texts – the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras. Yoga is ancient, and yet so relevant to us in a modern frenetic world.

It allows us time to return to our body and reconnect with ourselves. The word yoga is generally translated as joining or union. Yoga is a journey of exploration of the body & mind with breath is the bridge.

20 years ago, if you asked me why I practiced yoga, I would have said because it makes me feel good. I took it up in my 30s when I belonged to a gym in London.  One day, I thought I’d try something new so I joined a yoga class. I enjoyed it but what I was not prepared for was how well I slept that night and how amazing I felt the next day. I felt calm and reenergised so naturally, I kept going to class. I was hooked.

One thing led to another, which led me to workshops with famous teachers like David Swenson and John Scott, both well-known Ashtanga teachers – although I did not know of them at the time. I discovered there were several styles of yoga. I just happened to have started with Ashtanga, which I enjoyed enormously. It required effort and focus but the rewards were so worth it. I then went on yoga holidays and retreats and never looked back. Before I knew it, I had embarked on a lifelong journey.

Hatha yoga is the foundation of yoga from which other styles emerged through various teachers over the years. I started discovering and exploring several of them: Iyengar, Sivananda, Shadow yoga, Hot Yoga, Scaravelli yoga and so on. Even though they were all so different, I loved them all. I loved how it shaped my body, sharpened my mind, made me feel good, energised and relaxed overall. I felt whole.

How could yoga help us in our daily life ?

It keeps our body young and at ease. It works on our energy level & breath. It is also a great to relax and peel off the layers of stress. There is no age for yoga. My eldest student is 80 years old.

You could view yoga as connection, exercise, cultivating wellbeing, healing or a transformative process…

It is a great way to connect to yourself but also to socialise and connect with others, have a chat and a laugh. Once a month, we all go out for a cup of tea after class. At Christmas, we may bring some mince pies to share. We exchanged life stories, health tips and so on. This is the power of the “Sangha”.

Yoga can be a way to keep fit and flexible, work on balance and posture. You may supplement this with another activity to boost your cardio. You may wish to do yoga for your wellbeing. It helps regulate your energy, improve your digestion, immune system, sleep patterns, etc. Yoga encompasses asana (poses), breath work, (pranayama), relaxation, meditation and cleansing techniques. It all depends on the kind of class you choose to attend.

Yoga can also help with healing and recovery. Yoga therapy has become quite popular those last few years. I have had many people coming to class because of back ache, which practically seem to vanish after one or a few sessions of yoga practice – depending on the style.

When we practice on the mat, we move the whole body, warming up the joints and muscles before moving into the poses or a flow. A good class will encompass all those elements and have that curve of effort where you prepare yourself for the peak poses and slow down towards the end, finishing with a good stretch and relaxation.

So, on a physical level, yoga helps relieve body tension, improve posture, breathing, mobility, energy. It develops clarity, focus & attention. It develops body awareness & co-ordination, increases strength, balance, flexibility and promotes both circulatory & immune systems to name but a few benefits.

On a mental level, you learn to still your mind finding inner peace & balance, letting go of the stresses of modern life. It improves your mood: Wave goodbye to depression, anxiety & sleep issues. You feel alert, yet calmer & more relax. Yoga brings more poise and balance in your life. It boosts positive thinking and resilience over time.

What style of yoga to practice ? Know yourself...

The style varies according to age, energy, health and goals. You need to vary the practice according to how you feel. One day, you may feel strong and practice Ashtanga. Another day, if you are tired, perhaps choose Restorative or yin yoga instead to nurture yourself and allow yourself to reset, recharge. Tune in to yourself and ask the question. How do I feel physically, mentally and emotionally. What do I need today ? What will serve me best ?

Develop body awareness. If you don’t know your own body or aren’t paying attention to your stamina level or even how you feel that day, there is always the possibility of doing more harm than good. Don’t let your ego get the better of yourself. As we age, does your body need the same practice as 10 years ago ? It is about listening and adapting.

Presence, Intention, Breath, Alignment & Pace

They all matter. What is our intention on the mat ? What do we wish to get out of it today ? Where is our attention ? Yoga requires us to be present, breathe. How well aligned are we ? Do we connect our breath to movement ? Should we do this pose before that one or the other way round ? Why are we doing this pose ? Sequence, pace, focus matter and will all help to achieve good results or not from our practice. The length of your practice may vary from 10min to 60min or longer. It does not matter as long as we keep our practice regular and consistent, even if sometimes we miss a few sessions. That’s perfectly ok.

How could yoga affect our energy and mood ?

Besides our physical body, we have an energy body. When we look at yoga, and the channels of energy within our body, we talk about energy pathways or “nadis”. It is said we have up to 72000 nadis, a complex system where our life force, our prana energy flows through bringing us vitality.

The pranic body, also called the astral body, has 3 main energy channels Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. The latter runs through our spine. It is the connection between the earth, our roots and material life, and heaven, our higher awareness and our spiritual existence. It rules over our mental and physical functions.

The Nadis correspond with our hemispheres in the brain and rule over our logic as well as emotions. A balanced Nadi system brings intuition and knowledge together and unfolds the full active and regenerative potential.  Using our yogic breath such as alternate nostril breathing helps to bring those two aspects into harmony and allow our body and mind to self-regulate and heal imbalances.

Do we need to be flexible to take up yoga ?

No. You start from where you are and just progress slowly. It does not matter if you can’t touch your toes… Strength, flexibility, balance come with practice.  Accept that where you start might be different from someone else. It is advisable to start with a teacher as a beginner, so you can be safely guided and corrected if need be. Yoga is about you. There is no competition in class. Yoga is for everyone and all that is required of you is to come to the mat with no judgment, patience, perseverance and a curiosity of mind with an open heart.

Be prepared. Yoga may transform your life.

Just watch it unfold and notice how this slowly happens. We learn invaluable skills as it develops sharpness, focus, concentration and control. We also learn to let go and surrender. We learn to use our breath to serve us well. The breath helps clear channels or energy. We can use the breath to sharpen our brain. We can even use it to cool off in hot weather. In effect, yoga becomes a tool for life. It creates greater flexibility and skilfulness of response to life experiences.

In other words, yoga becomes a practice on and off the mat. Our mat practice prepares us and serves us well into our life. As it affects how good we feel, it will change how we relate to oneself and others in a much more positive light, encouraging us to be more cheerful, curious, tolerant and open minded. Above all, yoga brings stability, a sense of belonging and inner peace.

Yoga Union: Body & Mind work as One

Our thoughts instantly affect our emotions and bodies. Our circulation, muscles, breathing, feelings and more respond in turn affect how we feel. We may become stiff or have a very busy mind or we may be at ease in body & mind.

In yoga, we learn to manage our mind by way of our breath and body, bringing more peace, balance and harmony into our daily lives. As we get stronger and more flexible ‘in body’, we begin to feel the same ‘in mind’ – developing inner strength and confidence.

The purpose of yoga is to find stillness and connection within. Being present in the moment. Being kind to self and others, feeling good and content. Through a regular yoga practice, the body gains strength, balance, flexibility. Your mind becomes still. We develop breath, focus and concentration. Our whole person is filled with a sense of wellbeing, harmony and balance.

A few words I wrote about Yoga

“Take time out,

Be Present,

Reconnect with yourself,

Move, Breathe, Relax,

Ease body and mind,

Find stillness, harmony and freedom,

And ask “Who am I ?”

I run weekly classes in Wadhurst, Fordcombe and online. A blend of breathwork, yoga, Somatics, Pilates to feel good. I also offer workshops and 1:1. All welcome ! Just get in touch...

Group classes, Private tuitions and workshops available. For more info, benefits and testimonials on Yoga, Somatics, Classes, Events etc. pls visit www.yogawithbelle.co.uk

Why I love Somatics & love to share it !

Somatics, a must for all of us: An antidote to modern life ?

Somatics is trendy right now. It is popping up a lot on social media. Originated from the Feldenkreis, it offers a safe, efficient and profound way to release tension from within and recalibrate tight muscles by retraining the nervous system and re-patterning the body-mind . It is great to release chronic tension, stress or trauma and leaves us with a true sense of wellbeing.

Somatics allows us to change physical habitual patterns via sensory-motor control education. There is a profound invitation to relax, befriend ourselves, attune to the breath, explore how we relate to the ground and the subtle relationships between different part of the body.

Somatics invites us to move with full-body awareness, focusing on our feelings within. It develops interoceptive awareness or the capacity to listen to and feel your body. We learn to become quieter, mindful and work at a deeper level to release deep seated tension.

How could Somatics help you or maybe someone you know and what are the benefits ?

It keeps your body young and at ease. If you have had injuries or surgery, it is a great way to regain control over your body. It is also a great to just relax and peel off the layers of stress.

I have had so many wonderful testimonials over the years from different clients, who all loved it. I always had a passion for health and wellbeing and found Somatics to be a great complement to yoga. I simply love it. I see positive results 99% of the time after just one session although a course of 5 or 6 is recommended for long lasting results. It is a great way to open, rebalance and relax the whole body and mind. Perfect for everyday life or to improve your sport or yoga practice.

I love this method, and how it helps to release tension in areas of the body (neck, shoulders, back, hips etc.) leaving you feeling so relaxed by the end of the session. It is like peeling the layers of an onion. The difference before and after is simply amazing. Somatics aims at bringing the body back to its natural state in a gentle and safe manner. It leaves you feeling spacious and at ease.

I like to think of it as NLP for the body. It is so powerful and offers you the tools to feel good again. By re-establishing communication between the muscles and the brain via the central nervous system, we switch from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic nervous system. Although it may look simple, the work is challenging enough at times and is very profound.

During my yoga teacher training back in 2016, I attended a workshop entitled “Releasing tension from within”. There was something different about this. I felt so good afterwards that I consequently signed up for a few personal sessions. In 2017, I qualified as a yoga teacher and decided to treat myself. I signed up for a 5-day yoga Somatics workshop in Madrid on spinal integration. This was a true revelation and my love for Somatics was born. I was hooked !

In 2018, I qualified as a Somatics Exercise Coach. I travelled to Dublin to study 3 different modules over a year. I subsequently attended additional courses in London. I learnt the principles of Somatics, the different stress responses and how they influence posture, alignment and movement patterns, the somatic movement approach to re-patterning the body-mind. During my training, I learnt and practiced a whole range of specific exercises to help recalibrate the body from top to toe; upper body, lower body, front body, side body, back body.

In our later modules, we looked more specifically at exercises to recalibrate and improve muscle function and posture in the lower body such as pelvis, hips, psoas, legs, feet… I learnt how our centre determines how the whole body coordinates and balances itself. I studied the connection between the lower and upper body. I discovered how this can have a huge impact on our sense of alignment, posture and relation to gravity, even within one session. It brought me more ease and freedom in standing, walking, and squatting. I felt such a sense of lightness and peace.

Often, our most profound experiences take place when we get out of our head and settle deeply into our body. The somatic level of awareness offers a gateway to a profound level of reality, which lies beyond our habitual level of perception. The ability to listen to the internal feedback and subtle sensations of the body is referred to interoception. This offers a wide range of benefits. When you learn to pay attention to these internal signals, you not only enhance your emotional intelligence but begin to carry this wisdom into your health habits and daily life.

All movements are performed slowly and to the rhythm of the breath. I believe working with the breath is primordial as it brings body and mind together. I always start all my private sessions and classes with breathwork. It improves our breathing patterns, calms our nervous system and regenerates ourselves. We reconnect with ourselves, let go, create space, melt tensions away.

It is a beautiful mindful practice, which can transform the way you feel in your body and mind. When I first introduced some of this practice into my yoga classes, the students’ feedback was fantastic. All my private clients feel a difference and a significant change their sessions. They experience more ease and freedom in their body and mind. Tension is released. Posture improves. They feel calmer and happier in themselves. I always love to see their smiles as they leave.

Here are a few of some of my clients' testimonials:

“Somatics yoga class with Isabelle was very different from any yoga class I have done before, a combination of slow movements, breath and body awareness. At the end of the session, I feel relaxed, grounded and more in tune with my body sensations”.

"Feeling much more relaxed, mellow... The body feels longer, flatter, heavier, more relaxed and more spacious... I like learning how to breathe and connecting with my body. A good counterbalance to my busy life."

“I feel stretched, taller and my body feels more relaxed. The breathing exercises help me connect with my body and I can't wait for the class on neck and shoulders relaxation next week! Thank you, Isabelle” 

“I arrived in class and last week with terrible headache and very sore back after just an hour went home feeling great no pain. Excellent ! Also looking forward to my weekly class. Highly recommended”.

"My ongoing shoulder stiffness is noticeably decreasing and the movement is getting a lot easier.  

“The class has really helped with a sense of inner calm and relaxation”.

“Relaxation is much more achievable, and I always have a great sleep after a class.” 

“I enjoyed the class today and felt I had improved a little from last week, especially as I’ve been sitting at the pc and feeling stiff.  I pull muscles very easily and am always an anxious person but did feel good after the class! Thank you”.

“For me however the most enjoyment comes from the fact that the classes are small and you are always on hand to correct, encourage and improve my efforts throughout the hour.”  

“Who would have thought that something that does you good could be so much fun!”

“I just wanted to drop you a quick message about the somatic course on Sunday afternoon with Isabelle.  I wasn’t sure about it at first, as it wasn’t what I was expecting - and I was extremely tired and kept falling asleep! – but I really enjoyed it in the end and most importantly, my back pain / strained muscle pain in my side, which has been bothering me terribly for months and months (since at least springtime) has since vanished.  It was at its worst on Saturday morning and now has gone.  Amazing. I would love to do it monthly/quarterly to reset my body – or whatever it did! – if you were thinking of running it again. “

“The exercises were gentle and simple but the results were extraordinary. When I stood up at the end, I literally felt I had been given a new body. I moved effortlessly and felt grounded and confident. Better physically and emotionally. This work is amazing and should be available on the NHS.”

I run weekly classes in Wadhurst, Frant, Fordcombe and online. A blend of breathwork, yoga, Somatics, Pilates to feel good. I also offer workshops and 1:1. All welcome ! Just get in touch...

Group classes, Private tuitions and workshops available. For more info, benefits and testimonials on Yoga, Somatics, Classes, Events etc. pls visit www.yogawithbelle.co.uk

Somatics for Healing, Health, Wellbeing

Healthy Ageing with Somatics:

The link between fascia, health, longevity and wellbeing ?

"Soma" means living body. The term “Somatics” was coined by professor Thomas Hanna in 1976. It originates from Feldenkreis and represent a field of movement exploration and bodywork that focuses on the internal physical sensations, perceptions, and experiences of the body.

Somatics allows us to change physical habitual patterns via sensory-motor control education. There is a profound invitation to relax, befriend ourselves, attune to the breath, explore how we relate to the ground and the subtle relationships between different part of the body.

Somatics invites us to move with full-body awareness, focusing on our feelings within. It develops interoceptive awareness or the capacity to listen to and feel your body. We learn to become quieter, mindful and work at a deeper level to release deep seated tension.

It's a little bit like diving deep into a slow moving meditation and is magical. It takes you on a journey, a world of exploration beyond imagination. We move slowly and mindfully.

It connects body & emotions, reaching to your deeper body cellular and fascia layers, working with your body’s own intelligence. It connects you to your deeper self, which allows change.

 "You cannot change what you cannot feel" T. Hanna

A series of soothing gentle techniques allow our body to unwind deep seated tension patterns that tend to keep us stuck in old emotional patterns. It works on myofascia release freeing your muscles from being stuck, which creates inflammation, tension, and stiffness. 

Fascia is an organ of communication. Your nervous system is embedded within it, around every cell, organs, bones etc Somatics brings ease and freedom of movement. Stiffness melts away.

Fascia is listening to the nervous system in every moment, every breath. Somatics practice is designed to stimulate our kinaesthetic awareness and is fantastic to reshape and rewrite fascia. 

By changing your body, you are also reshaping your mind, emotions and spirit. 

How does breath help into this practice ? I like to invite participants to start with breathwork at the beginning of each session to reset body and mind for best possible outcome. To let go...

As we learn to control our breath, we regulate and calm our nervous system through our breath. It connects us to our parasympathetic nervous system, which brings deep relaxation.  Remember fascia listens to your nervous system and breath rhythm. It reacts to it, tightening up or relaxing, which in turn impact your muscles ability to glide (or not) with ease in the long term. When we switch to a "rest & digest" mode through our breath, we switch to a holistic healing mode.

As we learn to become attentive to our inner world of sensations tuning in, connecting to ourselves, we realign ourselves, melting tension away whilst creating more space within.

You will find below an extract from "News Medical Life Sciences", Article of January 2023:

"Scientists have described multiple mechanisms instrumental in the beneficial effects of practicing slow-paced breathing. These include central nervous system (CNS) pacification, polyvagal theory, interoception and enteroception, increased heart rate variability through autonomic nervous system (ANS) modulation, and heightened parasympathetic action. 

Stress, depression, and anxiety impair ANS activity and lower HRV. Breath modification alters the neurological signals sent by the respiratory system, influencing parts of the brain that regulate thoughts, emotions, and behaviour.

Additionally, slow-paced breathing synchronizes brain waves, improving communication between different parts of the brain. Meanwhile, fast-paced breathing voluntarily induces transient stress, which aids in improving stress resilience.

Current evidence proposes that one session of slow-paced deep breathing benefits the vagal tone (measured through HRV) and attenuates anxiety in adults. Hence, breathwork can be compared to mindfulness and meditation practices. Meditation and breathing 5-6 breaths/minute improves HRV.

The study showed significant improvements in self-reported anxiety, depression, and stress in individuals practicing breathwork compared to non-breathwork control populations."

I run weekly classes in Wadhurst, Frant, Fordcombe and online. A blend of breathwork, yoga, Somatics, Pilates to feel good. I also offer workshops and 1:1. All welcome ! Just get in touch...

Group classes, Private tuitions and workshops available. For more info, benefits and testimonials on Yoga, Somatics, Classes, Events etc. pls visit www.yogawithbelle.co.uk