Why YogaEmbody?
Lately I happened to read quite a lot about this “Embodiment theory”, which is described as using our own bodily experiences and processes to understand our emotional experiences, and the experiences of others.
I feel this sentence perfectly expresses my understanding of yoga practice, as a tool and a means through which I can get in touch with my intimate emotions by using body conscious movements.
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So now when I move my body consciously, I am able to free myself from the surrounding environment, from preconceptions, from fear. It allows me to be completely present meditating through every single movement.
Asana are not the goal.
They are a vehicle to access a deeper internal awareness.
This sentence indeed resonates with the intention I practice nowadays, although it has not always been this way.
At the very beginning of my experience, yoga to me was a lot of things: a sport, a way to move, a way to stretch, also a way to express my ego and show some cool tricks and performances, although soon I realised I just had stepped into the knowledge of an ancient discipline and lifestyle whose tradition goes beyond the physical dimension.
Yoga soon revealed itself as a vehicle which allows one to access the deepest truth in oneself.
If yoga is practiced with the mere goal of a perfect posture, that intention is only feeding the need to appear, or show off, or gain some attention to fill the void left by our insecurities.
But when yoga is practiced with awareness and through a deep listening to our body and the emotions arising within, that is the exact moment the magic happens: we begin to feed ourselves with consciousness, patience, compassion, confidence, kindness, gentleness, love, understanding, gratefulness.
And the more we practice the more we enable ourselves to replicate these emotions on the outside, in everyday life towards ourselves and the people we meet.
This is the difference between practicing yoga for fun and living yoga as a lifestyle.
"True yoga is not about the shape of your body, but the shape of your life.
Yoga is not to be performed, but to be lived.
Yoga doesn’t care about who you have been, Yoga cares about the person you are becoming.
Yoga is designed for a vast and profound purpose, and for it to be truly called YOGA,
its essence must be embodied."
Body, mind and soul are not separated: for each one to find its best state, all the others need to be nurtured and nourished at the same time.
Why start practising Yoga?
Yoga has taken over the western world by storm and for good reason.
While there are many components to yoga – strength building, spirituality, meditation, internal balancing – it is also based on a simple structure of stretching.
Even if you’re not a yoga-type person and even if you’re not an active individual, stretching should absolutely be part of a healthy daily or weekly routine. It’s not just about flexibility – which is important – it’s also an integral component for healthy muscles, which in turn boosts the health of your joints, in particular, your range of motion.
This decreases the risk of strains, muscle damage, and joint pain throughout your entire life. More than that, stretching helps to maintain a healthy weight or aids in unwanted weight loss, increases blood flow throughout your body, and improves your posture. On top of that, when it comes to mental wellbeing, stretching can be a ticket to a calmer state of mind. In fact, stretching has been shown to reduce stress, have a calming effect, and it can even help you to meditate.
My Style, YogaEmbody
I study, practice and teach Vinyasa, Hatha, Ashtanga, Bikram, Power & Yin Yoga.
My style – YogaEmbody – is a thoughtful blend of all practises I have learnt as I do believe each one of them is complimentary to the other and gives me the chance to create a tailored practice for each one of my students based on their needs and ability to learn.
This is why all levels of Yoga are welcomed, because my YogaEmbody has options that suit everyBODY.
I like to combine my knowledge of Yoga with functional movement to balance strength and flexibility, with conscious creative flow sequences.
I love to offer an engaging, challenging, fun, enthusiastic and compassionate teaching style that radiates positive energy and strengthens the body, the mind and the soul.
So here is the recipe of my style the roots of YogaEmbody are found in establishing a balance between the opposites of everyday life. My aim is to give all my students a tool with which to seek balance on and off the mat.
This is why my style is predominantly expressed through the traditional Hatha Yoga, the sun (HA) and moon (THA) practice.
When I am usually about to create the content of a practice, I tend to always start with more active movements which work on the Yang – therefore muscles and blood flow, building strength, stamina and flexibility – integrating it then towards the end with some Yin Yoga, holding poses passively for longer – therefore working on the deep, dense connective tissues and joints in the body.
That’s life:
starting over, one breath at a time.
To support the body through the practice, every moment is always marked by the breath which is the grounding guide that facilitate the focus and the presence on the mat.
The ambition of my teaching is to help people to be at peace with their body, mind and profound emotions, offering new ways and perspectives to see the inner and outer reality which challenges us everyday with its constant changes and expectations.
Here & Now is where yoga begins
Functional Training, Yoga, Pilates, these are just my tools to teach you how to appreciate your body and your life more. You can embody and express your inner world through movement and through those movements you can better connect to your soul and inner dimension.
YogaEmbody will help you to consciously improve your lifestyle in a healthier way, while respecting your needs but pushing your limits till you realise there are none.
Growth is painful,
Change is painful
but nothing is as painful
as staying stuck where you don't belong.
Mandy Hale
