Meet a Yogi: Emma
M E E T A Y O G I
emma
What inspired you to start Yoga?
I’ve always been interested in the practice of yoga, I think the thing that attracted me the most is that it’s something you can do anywhere, and all you need is yourself.
What surprised you most about practicing Yoga?
I think the thing that surprised me most about yoga was how quickly I was able to see myself improving, and my confidence growing. From the perspective of someone who has never been quite flexible, or strong, or athletic, there was a long time when I would see people practising yoga and think ‘I will never be able to do that pose’, under the impression that do get anything out of yoga you have to be doing each pose to its fullest form.
It is really encouraging however to learn that yoga is able to accommodate for so many bodies, so many limitations and have room for so much growth. I am still so far from so many full realisations of poses but every time I practise I can see the improvement, I can see the goal, and I can feel the work.
What prompted you to start private classes?
I thrive on routine, and I like to do things properly. I have started and stopped so many yoga classes in my time, whether it be because the class wasn’t really doing it for me, or it didn’t fit well into my schedule. I decided I’d love to have a routine in the morning before I go to work, the idea of yoga at home with a cup of coffee sounded great to me, so I looked into following along with some online yoga videos. About 3 minutes into my first video I realised I had no idea what I was doing, so I decided to learn, properly.
What do you find most beneficial about private classes?
You can get so much out of a private class that you can’t get in a regular class! It is tailored to you, and you can decide what you want to get out of it.
What is your favourite pose, and why?
I think currently my favourite pose is trikonasana. One thing I’m finding really helpful in my private lessons is nutting out even the most seemingly simple poses to make sure every part of your body is working in the right way to work towards full realisations of poses. I like trikonasana because I’m still working through it, I’m learning through it, and growing from it. And it feels good!
What is the pose you find most challenging, and why?
I think one of the most challenging poses for me has been Dancers’ Pose. It takes so much concentration for me to balance, and then we add feet and hand positioning and staying balanced becomes that much more difficult! I’m definitely better at it than when I first tried, but it’s still a massive challenge for me.
How does Yoga compliment or enhance other aspects of your life?
I have found that practising yoga regularly has given me more energy and enthusiasm in my day-to-day routine. I also walk a fair bit and am sitting a fair bit every day for work, so yoga is really helpful in stretching out the parts of my body that get worked every day, and helps keep strong other parts that, well, don’t see a lot of work.
What do you do in your free time?
I’m a bit of a home-body, and love filling my time with things like knitting & crochet, reading, playing/writing music, and cooking! I’m currently on rapid fire before Christmas - knitting gifts, and trying to find a good recipe to prepare for Christmas day!
Tell us about your band & where can we listen to your songs?
The band I’m in is called SNAPE. We are a four-piece shoegaze/emo/alternative/slightly hard to define band who have just announced our debut album! The album comes out on January 19th, 2018. and you can listen to our first single ‘Never wanted anything’ now at www.snapeau.com