As someone who is naturally double jointed I have always been drawn to yoga, but when my sister took me to a class in Bondi, Australia I fell in love with it for a different reason. The class was meditative and beautiful and I felt connected to my body in a way like never before. Since then, I've been looking for a studio that practises yoga in a similar way; yoga not just as a form of exercise, but as a form of personal balance, mind/body connection and meditation. Three years later, and I've finally found it.
Yoga Sweat in central Birmingham is a beautiful studio; it is relatively small, and is staffed by wonderfully friendly people who remember your name after your first class. Classes are not split in regards to levels, but rather split into the style and speciality of particular yoga practices. My favourite, is Jivamukti Yoga.
Jivamukti is a strength yoga that is entirely led by the breath - as a class, you begin to move together like waves of the ocean. Candles and josticks scent the air with a delicate aroma and carefully chosen music guides you through the class. At the start of each session, the tutor (Emily Lacy) encourages you to set an intention or a dedication to someone else in your life - someone that inspires you, someone who is having a difficult time, or someone who perhaps you don't have the best relationship with. By setting the intention or dedication, you remove your practice from the self. When my body begins to struggle and is losing strength, I return to my intention and it always guides me through movements and positions I otherwise thought incapable.
Not only does this impact my practice within class, but it is impacting my attitude and perspective outside of the studio. I feel calmer and more able to take a rational and objective perspective on a difficult or frustrating situation. Until you spend time each week focusing on it, you do not realise how many self-centred thoughts we have each day. Jivamukti yoga is about being god-centred, but it does not dictate which god this is. It could be the Christian God, Allah, Buddha or, as is my belief, the earth. Even if you do not connect with a particular image of god, the very process of removing focus from the self is beautiful.
The regular practice of yoga has also had an impact on my body, and I feel stronger and more in control of my body than ever. I sit better, I walk better (I have always walked on my insoles) and I am leaner. The feeling yoga gives of both your mind and body becoming stronger from week to week is something I have not found anywhere else. It is the highlight of my week and I would recommend it to anyone.
If you live close to Birmingham, check out Yoga Sweat by the Mail Box - http://www.yogasweat.com/
