My experience of Mindfulness Yoga – by April
April is one of the teachers from Infant Priory School in Ramsgate who I have been working with since October 2016. They attend a weekly class during the school terms. Here is what April said about her experience of yoga and mindfulness.
“As an individual who does not usually exercise and has never considered or even heard of the concept of mindfulness, this practice has been an enlightening and educational experience on many levels. In terms of general fitness, the yoga itself has demonstrated my lack of flexibility and stamina and although I am starting to see some of the benefits, I am aware that this is something I must maintain and continue for my overall health. Breathing is an area I have experienced particular difficulty with and initially the breathing exercises made me feel anxious. After reflecting on this difficulty, I became aware that this is actually an area that I have always struggled with generally in my life. Over the course of the two terms, I have started to gain a better understanding as to how I can control my breathing and although this has been a very gradual process, I am starting to acknowledge some of the benefits through the yoga sessions and generally in my day to day life.
Previously, I had very little to no knowledge of the concept of mindfulness and the benefits that such a practise could have for a person’s well-being. At first, I found the meditation element of the yoga session difficult and uncomfortable, as my usual relaxation regime would involve my phone, Television, laptop, tablet and many other devices, with my mind always having many distractions. When asked to consider the moment and not to let other thoughts cloud your mind, all I could consider was the noise of the traffic, other peoples breathing and the constant stream of work related anxieties. I would then become uncomfortable and fidgety, worrying even more about the tasks that would need to be completed the following day. It was as if my mind was not used to having such a quiet and reflective time, that it would automatically look for any negative thought or worry to occupy me for the duration of the meditation. It wasn’t until my second term of mindfulness yoga that I began to understand and benefit from the mindfulness mediation element of the session. When I heard the sound of the symbols, I would realise that I had considered each part of my body and although my mind did still stray, I could feel a sense of relaxation that I had not experienced before.
Recently at work we have completed a short mindfulness course which gave all members of staff an overview of the concept of mindfulness and the benefits that it can have for a person’s well-being. Listening to the other members of staff struggle with these mindfulness exercises and question the usefulness of the practise, really allowed me to reflect on how far I have come with understanding the benefits and the extent my mind has been trained to switch off and be aware of what is happening at that specific moment. For example, when completing the mindfulness activities, I found myself switching off from most distraction and at the end of the session feeling a true sense of relaxation and calm. I could really empathise with the people who struggled to understand and complete the activities, as I am now aware that mindfulness isn’t something you can just jump into, it takes time and training and I am starting to experience the benefits that it can have for my own sense of well-being.
Overall, mindfulness yoga has not only benefitted me on a personal level in terms of supporting my breathing, overall fitness and well-being, it has also supported me in my working life. I can now feel myself dealing with highly stressful situation in a calmer and more collected way, rather than my usual uptight and anxiety driven manner that would then (after reflection) lead onto feelings of self-doubt. In addition, I have started to incorporate mindfulness into my lessons and during busy transition where the children would usually be running around shouting at the top of their voice, we have started to have short reflective times where we listen to calming music and consider how we are feeling at that specific moment. Mindfulness is a practice that I will continue, as I am already beginning to see the benefits and am sure that with time these benefits will magnify and continue to support me on a personal level. Yoga itself has also started to positively affect my breathing, flexibility and fitness and I would like to continue and see the extent this practise would benefit me physically. Incorporating mindfulness and yoga together has been a great experience that I would recommend to anymore. Having such a calm, caring and knowledgeable instructor like Aneta has really supported my understanding and practice of both of these areas.”
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