My yoga Journey

Before I come to this 200 hours yoga certificate course, I used to spare my time in dancing and jogging. And my main understanding for yoga was for relaxation and strength, which is quite basic and shallow.

With all the theory and practice in the last 2 months, I have totally changed my attitude to yoga, and I benefit from the training physically and mentally that I would like to share.

According to the Chinese Traditional Medicine, I was diagnosis with weak Qi (body’s vital energy) and blocked blood circulation system.  I always feel tired, easily to get sick, and serious menstrual pain that I have to take panadol each month.  The symptoms have been with me for a few years without large improvement.

Thanks to the yoga, my situation has been gradually changed since I take this intensive course in September. I realize Qi is something I can control through the “Pranayama” practice. Every morning, I start the day with 2 breathe exercises.

  1. Kapalabhati

It helps to clean the air inside the body and send the energy upwards to my head. It’s an exercise that purifies, rejuvenates, and invigorates the mind and body. 

  1. Anulom Vilom

When inhale, I imagine that positive energy as green wheel will be brought in the body. When hold the breath, the energy go through my heart and nourish my soul. During the exhale, I will release the tension and imagine the toxins comes out the body.

This exercise helps to enhance my circulation system, warm up the palm and foot, and bring energy to the whole body.

On the other side, yoga has helps me to calm down, control the emotion and be more focused.

Most asana require us to hold 5 breathes and the inversion pose like headstand need to be hold for 2 minutes. The stability of the pose not only engages muscle strength and also build focusing power in the mind.  As mentioned in the classes, the poses are the reflection of our mind activity. Most unstable poses are due to the unstable mind. With more practices of asana, I try to be more focused on the current point.

Yoga also helps me to manage my emotion. I am an emotional person in general especially when going through some life changes and uncertainty.  But I feel that yoga has this the magic power to keep me calm down. “We have emotion, but we are not emotional”  “set the goal and transfer the negativity to positive energy”

My yoga journey has just started and feel lucky to welcome this energy into my life.

– Kate Zhou Jiarong , 200hr instructor course 2017 (Sep Weekends Classes)