“Breath in-breath out”, “Breath in-breath out” – these were the words I was hearing while I was sustaining my body’s weight with my hands and the sweat drops that were running from my forehead to the mattress were making my hands to slip, so I was wondering what am I doing there? This is what I felt for the first 30 minutes when I started practicing yoga for the first time. Later on, I started to control my breathing and I understood that yoga is not about fastness and not about copying what the others are doing.
Radiantly Alive Bali
Before going on, I would like to ask what do you think about when you hear “yoga”? Maybe you think of meditation, maybe your thought takes you to some strange man hanging on a nail with his legs crossed. The truth is that each one of us have a different perception abut yoga. In reality, the term “yoga” is derived from Sanskrit word “yuj” and it means unification. But unification with what? Unification between body, mind and spirit which leads to a perfect equilibrium.
In the past, yoga was a way through which the yogins were meditating. There were no mattresses, no physical exercises, but it was about meditation, about equilibration of thoughts and images that we have in mind. Today, most of the yoga classes means also physical exercises. In order not to fall in the extremes, yoga it’s not a modality of stretching or aerobic, but rather a perfect equilibrium between body and spirit. Yoga is a way of live through which we get to control our body, mind and emotions.
As for me, I always wanted to practice yoga and to meditate, but I was never determined enough to make the transition from thoughts and desires to facts. When I reached Bali, I was overwhelmed by all the positive energy from the island, by the people, to be more precise, everybody was zen. So, surrounded with so much positivism, I said that Bali, Ubud is the perfect place to start practicing yoga. After a short research on internet, I chose Radiantly Alive, from whom I received a card with 5 entrances to yoga classes.
No I would like to write something about each type of yoga I practiced and what I learned from each class.
1. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
This dynamic, physically demanding practice synchronizes breath and movement to produce an internal heat designed to purify the body. This class is great for building core strength and toning the body. Prepare to sweat a lot.
I started my classes with one of the most energy yoga type and I had a muscular fever which I felt for a few days.
2. Gentle Flow Yoga
Gentle Flow classes are designed to introduce you to the Flow Yoga practice by providing gentle and modified versions of the poses. To be more specifically, it is designed to accommodate people who have limited strength, flexibility and stamina. If you are a beginner, this class is great for you. Here you learn how to be gentle with your body.
You stay in a pose long enough to enjoy that you are not pushing yourself. The body gets rid of toxins naturally. You sweat in a few poses and not at all in others, but the feeling of bliss is constant. Gentle flow yoga equally strengthens the muscles and repairing muscles that are in need of help. There is no hurry to finish a sequence. It’s all about relaxing and allowing yourself and your body to have as much relaxation as you want.
3.Yoga for beginners
It is a mandatory class if you are a beginner in yoga. Here I learned how to sit in correct positions, how to breathe and especially that in yoga, each one of us has a personal style and we do not have to make the exercises all in the same way.
4.Sky High yoga
It was one of my favourite classes. Besides the exercises that we made on the ground, with the aid of gravity and the Sky High Hammock I learnd how to lengthen the spine and increase my flexibility. The Hammock is a fantastic tool to perform restorative inverted poses, and to intensify ground Yoga poses as well. It relieves tension in the muscles, elongates and decompress the spine and increases flexibility.
5. Latin Yoga Dance
Two of my interests are salsa and yoga so with this class I combined both of them in a sweaty-fun class. I recommend this class if you want to have an hour in which you will be in moving all the time.
Radiantly Alive in Ubud, Bali, in four years has enchanted the hearts of over 15000 visitors. Besides the classes that I shortly presented above, at Radiantly Alive you will find more interesting classes as: Roll and Release, Pilates, Tibetan Heart Yoga, etc. heir team is young, but very well prepared.
Their mission is to empower people to live radical joy, success and radiance in their lives; creating leaders, experiences and products that powerfully and positively transform. What they offer:
-a variety of over 40 inspiring yoga and movement classes per week;
-life transforming yoga teacher trainings and intensives;
-3 authentically designed yoga shalas;
-private treatment for their holistic therapies;
-women and men hot showers;
-complimentary yoga equipment including mats, blocks, straps & bolsters;
-local yoga wear and accessories products.
I liked so much what I did and what I felt there that I want to go back and stay for a longer period and only practice yoga. I could say that I started to love yoga.
All yoga classes creates a relaxation state of mind. If you think that yoga is not for you, it means that you haven’t found yet the class that suits your body and temperament. If you are in Bali, Radiantly Alive is the perfect place which will guide you to a perfect yoga for you.
Have you tried to practice yoga before? Tell me your thoughts about it.