WATCH: Local yoga instructor shares routine for International Yoga Day
In commemoration of International Yoga Day today, we spoke to local yoga instructor and business owner Nana Wen.
SINCE 2015, the world has celebrated International Yoga Day and the ancient wisdom of a healthy lifestyle that yoga provides. As the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi puts it: “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but discovering a sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help improve well-being.”
According to 37-year-old yoga instructor and business owner, Nana Wen, of Oneness Yoga Studio Westville, yoga is crucial in maintaining a person‘s mental, emotional and physical well-being.
“Through yoga, I have gained physical and emotional strength, and flexibility and resilience. As I studied further in both anatomy and spirituality and how these integrate, I’m in awe of yoga’s potential beyond the physical. It truly is a valuable wisdom for healthy living.”
“There are many different types of yoga, from precise alignment-based Hatha Yoga to faster-paced, creative Vinyasa Flows; structured sequences like the Ashtanga Yoga series, to deeply grounded programmes like Restorative and Yin Yoga,” the expert said.
“Depending on your physical, emotional, and energetic demands, different styles are effective,” she added.
There is much scientific literature about how yoga is beneficial for your physical and mental body. In terms of the physical body, the asana (physical practice) helps to strengthen different areas of the body, encourage blood circulation, enable healthy myofascial connective tissue and improve cardiovascular health, blood pressure and the central nervous system.
“Spending as little as 15 minutes of the day to practise yoga can help to improve your mood as you start the day, and it helps you sleep better if you practise at night. It helps us to perform physical and cognitive functions better in our daily activities. The more we practise in a balanced manner, the more we can feel aligned and connected, and as a result, create peace within ourselves and with others,” Wen said.
“I am thankful to have discovered this excellent instrument for achieving balance and finding tranquillity – a tool for self-regulation, unity and transformation. And now, I’m even more passionate to share it with others,” she concluded.
Follow Nana Wen’s step-by-step yoga tutorial below:
