Every Tuesday during term time, from 12.00pm to 1.00pm at the OASIS centre, counsellor Maureen runs a Mindful Yoga class.
I did that class today (along with some of my HCDS colleagues). Here are my thoughts.
It probably doesn’t matter what you are wearing, you could do the class. There were a couple of moves where my shorts threatened to detach, but fortunately my ample butt held onto them. I saw people successfully do the class in jeans.
It is gentle, really gentle, and Maureen doesn’t push you to achieve perfection with the poses. In fact, she encourages you to adapt the poses to fit with what your body is telling you. As a result I think this class is appropriate for all ages and fitness levels.
The ‘mindful’ part of Mindful Yoga comes from the frequent instructions to check in with different parts of your body to see how they are responding to the poses. I found the focus on how the poses feel, versus whether I was getting them ‘right’, to be far more engaging. As a result I enjoyed this class much more than previous yoga classes I have attended.
Maureen did a body scan type of exercise at the end of the class that I found immensely relaxing. So relaxing that I didn’t really want to return from it. Wanted to descend into a blissful sleep. If you tend to carry a bit of anxiety around with you normally, you might find this class a good stress reliever.
OASIS is a great venue for yoga. There is big room with closable doors that is surprisingly quiet. There is lots of natural light and out the windows you can see a lot of green space.
Mats and blankets are all provided so you don’t need to bring anything other than your angst – which I am predicting will quickly disappear. You are of course welcome to bring your own liquid cooled bluetooth enabled yoga mat.
Sometimes we look for overly complex solutions to the stresses of daily life. I am certainly guilty of that. But if you want to discover the relaxing simplicity of doing yoga with an excellent teacher, might I suggest Mindful Yoga. And why not – it’s free and on campus.