Frequently Asked Questions
 

What is yoga?

Yoga is one of India’s ancient philosophies based on strengthening your physical, mental and spiritual capabilities to experience overall health and happiness and improve the quality of your life.
Yoga as a generic term refers to a way of life incorporating physical postures, breathing exercises and meditation designed to improve health and well being. Yoga is taken from the Sanskrit word ‘Yuj’ meaning ‘union’. The ancient teachings emphasize the union of the body and mind.

Hatha yoga is a path that gives attention to the physical body with emphasis on mobilization of the body and the control of ‘prana’ or vital energy. The key elements of Hatha yoga include working on posture and alignment, strength, flexibility, balance, stress relief, relaxation, meditation and your overall health and well being.

What are the benefits?

Yoga works on a physical and mental level.

Physical benefits: -

• Increases strength and muscle tone
• Corrects postural imbalances and related problems and softens muscular tension
• Increases overall fitness and cardiovascular activity
• Promotes weight loss
• Increases flexibility
• Increases balance, coordination and overall body awareness
• Tones internal organs and promotes the purification of the body by releasing toxins and waste
• Balances the nervous and endocrine systems, boosts the immune system and digestive system and stimulates the brain
• Promotes deep breathing and increases lung capacity helping to prevent disease and reduce symptoms of asthma or other breathing related conditions
• Provides relief from stress related conditions, insomnia, IBS, fatigue, and depression

Mental benefits:

• Helps relieve anxiety and stress
• Calms and trains the mind
• Increases concentration, motivation and focus
• Increases energy levels
• Balances the body on an energetic level encouraging emotional stability
• Improves mental clarity
• Increases self-awareness and self-acceptance
• Encourages confidence and improved self-esteem
• Provides deep relaxation
• Provides a sense of overall well-being and happiness

What is the style of Anoushka’s Yoga

It’s Hatha Yoga. This simply means it has a physical approach.  The foundation for the one star course is Sivananda yoga working through a set sequence to learn the basics of any yoga style and enable you to go away with a sequence you can use in your own practice.

Tish and the team continue to study and constantly pursue their own growth as teachers. Therefore the two star course is shaped by many other approaches and is an eclectic mix due to the many sources of inspiration – see the Team page for more info, but classes often have a power yoga feel, with inspiration from Vinyasa flow, Anusara and dynamic yoga.

How does this differ from other types of Yoga

Sivananda Yoga is a sequence of 12 postures designed to work every muscle group and stimulate the energetic body. The one star course gently progresses through this sequence to enable the student to understand the basics of yoga.

The two star courses follow a particular theme. As the course progresses elements of many styles will be touched upon such as vinyasa flow, power yoga, ashtanga, dynamic yoga, yogalates, chi-gung and different forms of meditation. The two star course is for those who would like to work on different methods to meet their requirements, drawing on what feels right for them.

What’s the difference between pilates and yoga

In a very simplistic answer, Pilates centres all the movements of the body from the core transverse abdominus. Yoga treats the whole body working on all muscle groups.

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