{"id":2826,"date":"2020-07-15T09:03:22","date_gmt":"2020-07-14T23:33:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/?p=2826"},"modified":"2021-04-28T13:00:37","modified_gmt":"2021-04-28T03:30:37","slug":"what-is-mindful-yoga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/2020\/07\/15\/what-is-mindful-yoga\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Mindful Yoga?"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

Mindful Yoga classes are back for Semester 2! Enrol at Oasis Online<\/a> for notification on how to book. Further information will also be provided on this blog. In the article below, by Maureen (who teaches the class) explains what Mindful Yoga actually is.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Often, when people think of yoga, they think of the external \u201clook\u201d of yoga, the way the body might move into a variety of positions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Mindful yoga is a bit different from some other yoga classes, in that\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0focus is more on the benefits to our nervous system than on physical fitness.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yoga is often\u00a0<\/span>thought of\u00a0<\/span>as something that we do \u2013 whereas\u00a0<\/span>the word\u00a0<\/span>yoga\u00a0<\/span>is traditionally thoughts of as\u00a0<\/span>a state of being \u2013 achieved\u00a0<\/span>though<\/span>\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>variety\u00a0<\/span>of practices which support us to become at ease with ourselves, our thoughts, emotions and our bodies.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The word yoga is often translated as to \u2018unite\u2019 or \u2018yoke together\u2019.\u202f The word yoke is like connecting a wheel to an axle.\u202f You want the connection tight enough that the wheel doesn’t come free, but lose enough that the ride is smooth.\u202f This is yoga, being simultaneously in control of and also at ease with our own minds, hearts and lives.\u202f <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The state of yoga allows us to live at ease in our physical bodies and to\u202fbe compassionate, and emotionally resilient.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yoga, (connection or yoking) comes from practicing slow intentional movements with mindful awareness of the body and the breath.\u00a0 It may also include practices such as self-massage, visualisation techniques and progressive muscle relaxation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are 3\u202fmain benefits of practising\u00a0<\/span>slow\u00a0<\/span>mindful yoga:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Slow practices build vagal tone in the body (our emotional brain in the gut), which helps us develop a healthy nervous system and increases our emotional\u00a0<\/span>resilience and<\/span>\u00a0supports us manage stress.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. Slowing down increases\u00a0<\/span>both\u00a0<\/span>proprioception\u00a0<\/span>(our ability to know where we are in space)\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>interoception<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>(our sense of the internal condition of our body)<\/span>, which increases our\u00a0<\/span>ability to\u00a0<\/span>choose<\/span>\u00a0how we act in response to\u00a0<\/span>internal and external stimul<\/span>i<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      1. \u00a0When we move slowly, we can be more mindful, which strengthens the parts of\u00a0<\/span>our<\/span>\u00a0brain responsible for concentration, considered action and empathy.<\/span>
        \n\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Mindful yoga is suitable for all bodies<\/span>, including people with different physical abilities who may find exercise focused yoga inaccessible.\u00a0 It is also trauma informed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        B<\/span>eginners as well as experienced yoga practitioners are welcome. Mindful yoga can be adapted for heat, cold,\u202fgrief, anxiety, tiredness, physical\u202f<\/span>injury,<\/span>\u00a0and illness<\/span>\u00a0\u2013 whatever is present in your body or minds<\/span>.\u202f What is important is that we show up with kindness to ourselves.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        I\u2019m excited that\u00a0<\/span>Mindful Yoga c<\/span>lasses will return in semester two (Starting July 28th).\u00a0 Spaces will be limited due to social distancing, and you will need to provide your own mats.\u00a0 Check out Oasis Online<\/a> for more details about how to book.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Hope to see you there<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Maureen<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Mindful Yoga classes are back for Semester 2! Enrol at Oasis Online for notification on how to book. Further information will also be provided on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":492,"featured_media":2827,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,23,8021,42,12156],"tags":[3873],"class_list":["post-2826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-flinders-services-and-programs","category-mental-health","category-physical-health","category-well-being-at-flinders","category-yoga","tag-mindful-yoga"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/492"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2826"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2826\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}