I never thought I would be writing or talking about how much I love yoga. I’m completely shocked and taken aback. I always thought yoga was for athletic long limbed Gwyneth loving, quinoa eating bed wetters. I’m highly competitive, I have anger issues and in the past I loved aggressive ass kicking boxing, punching, kicking grrrrrr forms of exercise. I thought if you don’t feel like you’re about to have a heart attack and pass out, you weren’t working out. Oh how wrong I was. It was the spiritual enlightened and nurturing Nahid founder of www.goodvibesfitness.co.uk who said something to me that made the penny drop, when it came to yoga. She said that people who are stressed out and have busy lives need the opposite thing, they need to relax and chill out their nervous systems. This makes total sense. Life is about contrast, light and dark and sweet and salt- the best balance and flavour in both life and food is created when you find that middle ground the in between. As a busy working twin mama I needed to heal my mind and spirit as well as my body through nurturing exercise rather than destroying my body using sugar as a fake fast fix for comfort.
I’m started to work out doing yoga and dancing 2-3 times a week and love it. The trick is to find a great teacher and place to practice as the energy and attitude of your teacher makes a difference. Look for someone who is a healer, holistic and kind and isn’t doing yoga as a look or until their model agent casts for a big modelling gig in LA.
I find yoga is like having a great massage but you’re the masseur. My huge boobs have always given me jip and I find yoga has really helped to strengthen my back and help me walk taller and improve my posture. Any stress also goes to my stomach and I’ve found that my cramps, aches and pains have chilled right out. I come out of a session feeling calm, centred and peaceful. Peaceful people don’t binge eat their body weight in chocolate. Calm people don’t kick off and raise their cortisol levels inflicting damage on their bodies with high blood pressure. I choose life and I choose yoga. I’ve learnt once you set your mind free, your body will follow and it’s definitely that way round. Your mind has to make a decision and your body will heal and be a team player.
It’s so strange how you can create a narrative in your head of what you can and can’t do. I always thought because I am the opposite of willowy, I couldn’t do yoga. I thought I wasn’t built for it putting invisible barriers in front of myself, which I have come to realise is a nasty little habit of mine. I’ve learnt this year to literally ram through my fears, old holding patterns and false core beliefs and yoga has helped me a lot. I’m grateful and have become evangelical…..yoga….. I’m a believer!
