Yoga WILL make your life easier off the mat.
A little afternoon read for you...
Many of you will have heard my story about Dave and the Wagamama picnic before, but it really is what yoga is all about.
Dave started doing yoga 2 years ago in September and he is my real life example of how yoga, even just 20 mins a day, can change your life.
Dave had terrible sciatica and a bad back, he could barely bend down to put his socks on or get out of bed on his own, this is when he finally gave in and reluctantly started yoga with me.
I'd ran a challenge for The M Project Movement and Dave was doing it alongside the members of the group. In that 30 days, he noticed a change and so I decided to launch Yoga for Busy Bodies, a facebook group where we do yoga 4 mornings a week at 7am. I did this to keep him interested and to offer the shorter classes to people who are busy but want to move their body, it is also great for people who struggle to concentrate for more than 20 mins or people who can't get to a 60 min yoga class, we literally roll out of bed and onto our mat in the morning.
About 18 months ago we had Wagamama and the kids wanted to eat it on the floor like a picnic, so we did as a fun treat, however, Dave was like a bear with a sore head, grumpy and grouchy that he had to sit on the floor, he ended up sat at the table eating alone whilst we all enjoyed our picnic!
Fast forward 12 months, we had a Wagamama and the kids wanted to eat on the floor again, so we set up camp and it was a pleasant meal without any grumblings from papa bear, he ate the full meal on the floor without a gripe, it was a way more pleasant experience for us all.
After we finished, it hit me, Dave sat through a whole meal on the floor without moaning because of yoga!
The yoga that we practice together is known as Yoga Asana, asana means 'seat', the postures were developed thousands of years ago to give people the strength and flexibility to sit to be able to meditate, it helps develop strength in your core, hip flexors and back and flexibility in your hamstrings, glutes and back.
There in front of me was a living example of how yoga helps you to sit without any issues as just one happy side effect of the movement, there are hundreds of other benefits, but this was the reason yoga was created and in front of my eyes I was watching it be true!
Last night, we enjoyed another family Wagamama picnic and here is the photographic evidence. After 2 years of 20 mins yoga 3 times a week, Dave is a changed man, he can touch his toes, he has become stronger both in yoga and the gym and he never complains of a bad back which was a reoccurring conversation. He has never missed a class and he has even come to my in person classes and thrives in them.
When I created Yoga for Busy Bodies, I did not know it would have lasted beyond the next month, but we have a lovely community of people on our private group and we continue to grow. I am so much more productive on the mornings where we enjoy Yoga for Busy Bodies and my day starts off on the right foot.
I am currently in the process of developing a page on my website as a self paced monthly course for those people who don't use facebook.
Jump on my website to read more about this fun little thing that started to help one guy but is helping several people in the process!
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